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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25733377">I Have A Shipping Problem</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrainOfThought15/pseuds/TrainOfThought15'>TrainOfThought15</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Smosh</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Dream Sex, Dubiously Consensual Blow Jobs, F/M, Feelings, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Mildly Dubious Consent, Mutual Pining, Pining, Porn with Feelings, Semi-Public Sex, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 12:35:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>30,048</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25733377</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrainOfThought15/pseuds/TrainOfThought15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Mostly drivel that I wrote to make sense of these tumultuous emotions I feel whenever I see these two on-screen. (May also be a reflection of my current state of mind.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Courtney Miller/Shayne Topp, Damien Haas/Kimmy Jimenez</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>54</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Mommy Needs Her Liquid</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Everything written here is technically an AU, because reality. Also, don't be dickheads and bother these actual people with your own shipping problems.</p><p>Based off of the babysitting Day Jobs episode.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Let it be said that Courtney Miller does not buy into Clichés. At least she thought she didn’t. Not the major ones, at least. </p><p> </p><p>But then they started filming for Day Jobs.  </p><p> </p><p>Then she saw actually how good Shayne Topp was with the children.  </p><p> </p><p>Then her ovaries all but exploded, as stereotypical as that sounded. (It didn’t, really, but it was a damn close thing.) </p><p> </p><p>She knew on a surface level that Shayne was good with kids, with him mentioning in passing how he loved taking care of his nieces and nephews. But that was something she paid no mind back then. Merely filing it away in her brain, thinking nothing of it. Which she now finds biting her in the ass, metaphorically speaking. </p><p> </p><p>It’s an open secret that she finds her fellow cast member attractive. Hell, all of the squad is attractive, but there was something decidedly different with Shayne. It was probably only one Shayne Topp that doesn’t know about how she might see him more differently than she professes online. At least she hopes he doesn’t know.  </p><p> </p><p>Yeah, sure, he’s objectively very (ridiculously) attractive, what with his amazing physique, cobalt blue eyes, and dirty blonde hair, but it was so so much more than that. It was also how he would worry about others first before he worries about himself, how he’d go out of his way to make others laugh, or how he’d always be just really the most reliable person she knew personally. </p><p> </p><p>But then the day came when they had to go and film the Day Job episode in the kiddie gym, and for the love of all that was holy, she almost lost in then and there when she saw him taking care of the kids and playing with them. How he treated the children with genuine kindness and respect, listening to them with rapt attention, even if most of what the kids say were incoherent babbling.   </p><p> </p><p>And then suddenly a daydream came to her. A vision of Shayne Topp cradling a blonde-haired baby girl assailed her; included in which, with no particular order, Shayne in a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a distinct golden band on his left ring finger, and just the happiest, softest looking smile she can imagine. That the vision also included her in a sundress and with a similar golden band on her left ring finger was also a bit of a blow to her stomach. (There was a reason he was usually the subject of her most recent inappropriate sex dreams, but that’s a can of worms she dares not open yet.) </p><p> </p><p>She almost jumped him then and there, but thankfully, there was a boatload of kids that were there to distract her, not to mention her fellow cast and crew mates. She was able to temper herself, and managed to get herself mostly in control. She also thanked whichever higher power was listening that her acting was enough to mask her (not so) sudden desire for her fellow Smosh squad mate. She doesn’t know how she actually was able to keep her thirst in check. (Because, yes, this was not so much wanting as it was a thirst. And boy, was she in need of quenching.) </p><p> </p><p>Look, Courtney was an outspoken young woman who sometimes indulged in the thoughts carnal, alright? And if those thoughts somehow have to wander to him, well, far be it for her to stop herself. Courtney can only pray that her patience and discipline holds out. She’s not sure how much longer she can keep these feelings in check.  </p><p> </p><p>Maybe she should just indulge herself? </p><p> </p><p>Maybe one day. </p><p> </p><p>Probably one day. </p><p> </p><p>Probably soon. </p><p> </p><p><em> Fuck. </em> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Hey You Wanna Unbox My PR Package?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Based off of Smoshcast # 30, the How to Flirt Video, Every Brianna Boho appearance (especially the one exiting the Portapotty),and the letter H </p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Caution, Smut ahead.  Bad smut, but still. Brianna Boho just hits differently,</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Shayne hated it whenever Courtney had to play this particular role for their videos. He loathed how she just slips into this particular persona, her Brianna Boho side, and the inherent <em>sultriness </em>it evokes in her. </p><p>  </p><p>It's not that he disliked how she looked. He thought she looked absolutely jaw-droppingly beautiful whenever she was playing this precise person. (Not that Shayne didn’t think Courtney was beautiful in her regular clothes, but that was neither here nor there at the moment.)  </p><p>  </p><p>Every time she gets into this character, it’s like a switch is flipped, and she just gets it into her mind to let her inhibitions go and let herself run amok. Doing stuff that, for the most part, would be atypical of regular Courtney. For example, cornering him and just doing whatever she wanted to satiate her hunger.  </p><p> </p><p>It didn't matter where they actually were. Be it in the Mythical/Smosh office, or on-set somewhere, she just had a knack for finding him exactly when there was neither cast nor crew around available to at least act as a deterrent for her and her shenanigans. Not that that actually ever really did stop her when she was of this particular mindset. Shayne tried calling her out on her behavior once when they were all alone. All Courtney did was smirk at him and feign innocence, telling him all the while that it wasn't her doing those actions. All she kept saying was that it was Brianna who did those things, and that she was definitely not Brianna, but Courtney. </p><p>  </p><p>But, really, what Shayne really hated was how weak and powerless he was to resist Courtney. It didn't even matter he could probably very easily overpower her if he so chooses; the moment she stares into his eyes, blues clashing against greens, he knows it's a lost cause. </p><p>  </p><p>Shayne knew how much of a stupid idea it was to agree to shoot the sketch. He hated that it wasn't even an option for him to say no to her. Truthfully, Shayne would do anything for Courtney, but that was something he really doesn’t want to unbox right at this moment. Not when he knows that the moment the crew called for a break, Courtney, or Brianna as she insists, will go into full predator mode. There was no running from her when she sets her sights on him. All he can do is try to hide and pray that he doesn’t find him too soon. (Or at all, but sadly, he has never been able to escape from her clutches. </p><p> </p><p>Which is how he found himself in a random restroom in the Mythical/Smosh office, cornered by one forest green-eyed blonde in full “Youtuber” dress. Shayne groaned, suddenly brought out of his inner monologue by the soft hands pawing at his groin. He glanced at the mirror and caught the mischief in Courtney’s eyes. He can never say no to her when she gets touchy like this. </p><p>  </p><p>"Courtney, you really have to stop doing this every time we do videos like this." He said, barely suppressing a moan as she took the next step and fished his length from out of his red shorts. His hands had a white-knuckle grip on the sink. " Sooner or later, someone's going to catch us and see us doing this." </p><p>  </p><p>"Courtney? Courtney who boo?" “Brianna” answered with an impish grin while chewing her gum. She paused for a bit to spit on her hand to use as lube before rubbing him in alternating strokes and pressure, hard and slow then soft and fast, knowing exactly how to bring him just near the cusp without him discharging. "I'm the only one here, baby." </p><p>  </p><p>Shayne looked at her pointedly. Or, as pointedly as someone being manhandled can look. Undeterred, Courtney continued her ministration, using her smooth palm to and nimble digits to drive him crazy, scratching his back with her nails. She upped the ante by leaning in closer to him, pressing her front to his back, all but molding herself to him. Her clothes left near nothing to the imagination, which only stoked the flames in him. </p><p> </p><p>(As much as Shayne pretended to hate her when she does this, and the possible complications it may bring about, he'll be damned if he doesn't do his best and make these moments last and enjoy himself.) </p><p>  </p><p>"Ngh... fuuuck. Fine."  He conceded through clenched teeth, willing himself not to explode right then and there.  "<em> Brianna, </em> why are you doing this? Again?" </p><p>  </p><p><em> Naked mole rats, Dumpster Wizard, Natto...  </em> he repeated to himself like a mantra, steeling himself and trying his hardest to not just erupt right then and there.  <em> Ghost peppers, ice cream  </em> <em> bumdaes </em> <em> ... </em> </p><p>  </p><p>"Because I want to see what your PR package looks like, baby!" She whispers into his right ear before lightly biting down and nibbling on it. Her other hand wandered around his chest, slightly grazing his nipples.  </p><p>  </p><p>"Shit, I need you to stop, Court-Brianna, whatever, unless you want to clean up a mess." He muttered, trying to keep his breathing even, doing everything he can to keep his cool. </p><p>  </p><p>"Mhmm Baby, let it all out then." She cheekily told him, moaning and groaning in his ear in the way she knows just gets to him.  "Don't hold back for me. I wanna see how frustrated you are." </p><p> </p><p>Shayne resigned himself then and there, knowing full well how much of a losing battle it already is. His heavy breathing being the only thing to signal how close he was to reaching his peak.  Lithe hands stroked his stiffened length, urging him over and over to topple over the edge.  </p><p> </p><p>Knowing he was but milliseconds away from coming, he forced himself to open his eyes and stare at her, focusing all his raw desire and affection to the beautiful, shapely blonde. He tried to convey everything he wanted to say to her in that final staring contest.  </p><p> </p><p>“Courtney, I’m really fucking... nghhh.. Close” was all he managed to say before she surprised him again with her lust-driven spontaneity, pushing him so that his back was to the wall, before dropping down to her knees and taking his length into her waiting mouth, milking him of his essence, all the while maintaining intense eye contact with him, making sure he watched every second of her in full control.  </p><p> </p><p>He fully expected her to spit it all out after she cleaned him up after his last spurts. But Courtney surprised him yet again when she looked up at him, opened her mouth, showing him his ejaculate, and swallowing it, and giving him a saucy smile.  </p><p> </p><p>“Hmmm, that was really yummy, baby. What a nice welcome surprise.” She whispered in his ear before giving him a kiss on the cheek. Courtney then sauntered off, leaving him inside the restroom in his disheveled, spent state.  </p><p> </p><p>Shayne took a few deep, steadying breaths to try to calm his racing heart before getting himself in a better, more presentable state. He turned the faucet on and splashed cold water onto his face. He rubbed his hands over his face before staring at his reflection again. </p><p> </p><p>“One day.” He said resolutely to himself. “One day soon. I'll make you fully understand how I really feel.” </p><p> </p><p>He threw one last look at his image before bottling up the rawness he saw in his eyes and recomposing himself. He walked out of the lavatory. </p><p> </p><p>“I’ll make you mine one of these days, Courtney Miller.” </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This is based off of what the squad said during Smoshcast 30, basicaly confirming how Courtney acts like a different person when she gets all Brianna Boho'd up. I also wanted to see how Shayne is as the prey and not as the predator.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Dream A Little Dream of Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Am I a pervert? Maybe.</p><p>Did I really post this on Shayne's birthday? Yes, definitely. </p><p>Do I regret anything? Nope.</p><p>This is a monster of a chapter, and it definitely got out of hand. </p><p>AS ALWAYS, this is all fantasy, please for the love of whoever you hold holy, don't bother the real people who this work is based off of. Don't be dickheads.</p><p>PS: The title's not connected to the plot, like, at all.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Parties were never really his thing. Sure, he enjoys going to parties, but partying all day and night really doesn’t appeal to him. He had better things to do. Like maybe sorting out whatever it was going on between him and one Courtney Miller. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Which is why he was baffled exactly how they got him to attend one of the mixer-parties thrown by their new parent company, Mythical in their shared Burbank office. It was a full-on party, with a small DJ set up, some catering, and even a mobile bar.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>(He was lying. He definitely knows how </span>
  <em>
    <span>exactly</span>
  </em>
  <span> he was roped into attending this particular party. It involved one bubbly blonde, a cute pout, and him being absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucking</span>
  </em>
  <span> wrapped around her finger. Not that she knows it, of course.) </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne tried to keep his distance from her all throughout the party, a considerable feat in itself, nursing a beer in his hand. He refused to drink more than a bottle or two of beer tonight, because he already distrusted himself not to do something completely stupid that he might regret later while completely sober. He didn’t need liquid courage to make him admit to things he has been trying to keep under lock and key. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And which is also how he finds himself one this particular couch in one of the rooms sitting with his best friend Damian while he was being (absolutely) destroyed in Mario Kart. Partly, because Shayne was no match for his friend. But mostly, because he had been more focused on gazing at Courtney having the time of her life, oblivious to the turmoil she caused Shayne. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, there’s a certain amount of staring that can be considered polite, but what you’re doing is on the verge of being improper, my dude. It’s probably better to call it ogling.” Damien remarked suddenly, breaking Shayne out of his reverie. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not ogling. I’m not even staring. I just happen to be staring off in space, which she just so happens to occupy.” He scoffed, shooting his friend an incredulous look. Shayne tried and failed to stay focused on the current race going on in the screen. Try as he might, Shayne’s eyes just naturally wanted to return to Courtney’s lithe form. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, sure, whatever sophistry you want to call what you're doing. It’s all potato, </span>
  <span>potatoh</span>
  <span>, innit.” Damien smirked knowing he hit the nail on the head. He even added his funny Cockney accent for kicks all while keeping his focus on the screen. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Damien, I know you know that makes zero sense.” Shayne resolutely refused to look at Damien at this point. He didn’t have to. He just knew a little bit of Douchebag Damien was leaking out on his friend's lips. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No, not really. What actually makes zero sense is you just absolutely fuming here, and don’t pretend that you aren’t, when you can be over there monopolizing her time. Just go over and talk to her. Stake your claim. Raise your flag. Shoot your shot. She won’t know otherwise.” Shayne knew that his best friend was 100% right. But he wouldn’t be a Virgo if he wasn’t an over-thinker. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Admittedly, Courtney did look extra stunning this particular night. Her blonde shoulder-length hair color was framing her face like a golden halo, lips painted a pale shade of pink, highlighting the natural curvature of her lips. She was wearing her gold-framed glasses which helped accentuate her forest-green eyes. She also had on a blue hoodie that looked suspiciously like the one he swore he lost in the office two months ago, with her favorite Nike Pro leggings with the see-through parts and finished it off with her well-worn white chucks. It’s definitely not the sultriest she’s dressed, but that just makes it all the more sensual looking to Shayne. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not going to stop her from </span>
  <span>slangin'</span>
  <span> dong. She’s an independent woman who don’t need no one. She can slang dong with whoever she chooses.” Shayne told Damien pointedly. He could see Courtney in the middle of a dance circle with </span>
  <span>Tomey</span>
  <span>, Olivia, </span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span>, Sarah, Monica and her wife, and a few other Smosh crew-members. He was a little bit concerned when he saw what seemed to be the fifth drink in little less than an hour. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“And all I’m saying is you sitting here with me and pretending you don’t want that dong slung your way is mildly irritating at this very moment. Not when I’m trying to slang dong myself. You're cramping my style man.” Damien said the last part in a softer voice, turning his attention as well to the ongoing dance circle, now to the tune of Girls Are Gross. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow Dames. That’s actually kind of harsh.” Shayne grimaced. He mentally filed away the little nugget of info that his brown-haired friend had unwittingly uttered, slip of the tongue or not. Mario Kart left forgotten. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No, what it is is the truth. Just do it, man. I promise you, it’s all going to work out better than what you’re expecting it to be.” Damien looked his buddy straight in the eye, blue against brown. “Just trust me. Have I ever purposefully led you astray?” </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“And here I thought you weren’t Psychic.” Shayne gave him a shaky little smile. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not. I’m just really, really, really good at reading body language. And my dude, whatever you’re subtly throwing at her, she’s definitely picking up.” Damien saw that Shayne was about to voice off another objection and cut him off soundly. “Trust me. You won’t regret it.” </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Damien stared at Him again for a minute before clapping Shayne on the shoulders and leaving the other man on the couch. Damien then sauntered off to the food table to fix himself some of his weird but good food concoctions. Stealing another glance at Courtney, he steeled himself and finished off the bottle of beer he’d been nursing since the start of the party. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The dance circle had now dissolved into a fit of giggling as the current song changed to Pay Me to Sleep, and Shayne could see some of the other guys from the Mythical crew eye Courtney in a way that made a sudden bout of anger and possessiveness flare up inside Shayne’s chest. The little green monster inside his chest that he didn’t know he’s been keeping in check struggling against his mind. He spied Courtney walking to where the mobile bar was set up, and saw some scrawny kid try to start making an approach, and Shayne momentarily saw red. His brain shut off for a moment, and he moved as if on auto-pilot.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Before he even knew what was happening, Shayne found himself right in front of Courtney, grabbing her right wrist just as she was reaching for another cocktail from the bartender. He could see the beginnings of a frown on Courtney’s face just as she turned to start telling off the person who dared to stop her from getting her drink. She almost started shouting before she fully faced him, an angry expression starting on her countenance, which quickly devolved into a grin when she saw just who it was that was holding her wrist. Shayne could see the split-second it took for her eyes to change from full-blown anger to mirth and, dare he say it, affection. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Shayyneyyy</span>
  <span>! You’re here!” Courtney gave him a big toothy grin. Swinging her arms to give Shayne a hug which he reciprocated readily. “I thought you left the party!”</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Uhh, no, I didn’t,” Shayne replied, momentarily losing his train of thought as he relished how soft she felt against him. “No, I was just hanging out with Damien and playing Mario Kart.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Doesn’t matter now. What matters is that you’re here!” She giggled a bit after saying this. She clasped his arms with both of her hands, trying to drag him to the designated dance floor, drink all but forgotten. “Come on, let’s dance!”</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne was briefly incapacitated by her bright green eyes, allowing himself to be dragged to the dance area before regaining his composure. Courtney was half successfully pulling him with their linked hands before he forced the two of them to halt. He mentally braced himself before addressing at Courtney’s questioning looks. Shayne took a deep breath and focused his full attention on her again.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Court, can I... talk to you for a minute?” Shayne managed to utter out, somewhat proud of himself for not buckling mentally when she snapped her full attention on him. He looked at her face which was now looking to be a bit mischievous, like she knew something but was not going to share it with him until she feels like it.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, shoot.” She answered him cheekily placing well-manicured hands on her hips. Shayne fought the urge to rake his hands through his already artfully disheveled looking hair and maybe give her a slightly exasperated sigh. She always knew which buttons to press with him.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, in a more private setting? Maybe?” Shayne could see the gears turning in her head, and hoped that whatever conclusion or decision she comes up with were favorable to him and his cause.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, fine. Where do you have in mind?” Courtney finally replied after a few seconds, a small, cute pout on her face, making Shayne feel a jolt of fondness course through him. This is exactly how he knew that he was in love with her, and not just how Courtney looks. Everything about her just endears her to Shayne a little bit more than Shayne even thought possible.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Follow me. I know just the place.” He took her hand again, clasping his hands around her daintier fingers. She struggled for a bit, and Shayne thought she was going to pull her hand away. Courtney surprised him when instead of pulling her hand away, she took his hand again and laced their fingers together, intertwined in an intimate embrace, far more affectionate than any hug they’ve ever shared. Tightening their hold, Shayne gently guided her to a door and onwards to a secluded room he found one day while he was putzing around the Mythical building.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Just as the pair was about to make their exit, Shayne heard some forcibly repressed giggling in the area where the gaming consoles were set up. He was not at all surprised to learn that the sniggering came from Ian and Damien, self-proclaimed </span>
  <em>
    <span>Shartney</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <span>stans</span>
  <span>, nay, captains. Shayne resisted the urge to throw his hands back and just give the finger to both Ian and Damien, who would no doubt star cackling the moment they’re sure that Courtney and he were out of earshot. He reminded himself that he had more pressing issues to sort out.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne, despite knowing that Courtney was definitely following him, never released her hand from his grasp; it felt like home, really, like everything just instantly made sense. Courtney actually tightened her grip on his hands, as if her very life depended on that action. Encouraged by this, Shayne sallied forth, finding his way among the mess and maze </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>After a couple more minutes, they finally arrived </span>
  <span>at their destination</span>
  <span>. It was a small </span>
  <span>storage room that no one really uses. He actually renovated it into a small </span>
  <span>private lounge, </span>
  <span>with beige-colored walls, </span>
  <span>a couch, a mini-fridge, </span>
  <span>a decent Bluetooth speaker, and</span>
  <span> some </span>
  <span>led lighting.</span>
  <span> He was proud of his little personal room, and no one but the custodian actually knows </span>
  <span>where it was. Well, aside </span>
  <span>from the actual owners</span>
  <span> of the building</span>
  <span>, Rhett and Link.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Ste</span>
  <span>eling himself, </span>
  <span>he turned to face Courtney</span>
  <span> but he was a little startled when he saw how close she actually was to him. Courtney had a smile to plastered on her face</span>
  <span>, with a look that speaks of mischief and </span>
  <span>adoration.</span>
  
  <span>Taking a minute to collect his thoughts, he </span>
  <span>managed to get his mind in order</span>
  <span>. He gently took both her hands in his, and </span>
  <span>looked her in the eyes.</span>
  <span> She squeezed his hands back, giving him the small boost that he needed to continue.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Courtney, I have to tell you something. I need you to listen.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it frog legs? </span>
  <span>Why do you look so tense? And nervous?” She smiled at him, something akin to hope in her eyes.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Look, </span>
  <span>I know</span>
  <span> whatever I </span>
  <span>end up saying here in this room, </span>
  <span>will change everything. </span>
  <span> And I know there’s a snowball’s chance in hell that you would respond the way I would want you...” Shayne starts rambling, pacing back and forth, virtually unaware of the endearment and unabashed hunger in Courtney’s eyes as she stared at him. “But I’m getting tired of just pussyfooting around this particular subject, so I just have to ask... Is that my missing hoodie?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Really? That’s what was so important that you had to remove me from the party?” Courtney gazed at him, looking severely unimpressed</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes? </span>
  <span>Uhmm</span>
  <span>, no? You look good in it, by the way.” He scratched the back of his head, getting a little embarrassed from getting sidetracked. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine, here goes... Courtney Ruth Miller, I kinda like you more than I actually might have publicly admitted. Like romantic feelings and all that, complete with cheesy lines and hand-holding... And I know you only see me as a </span>
  <span>frie</span>
  <span>-” Shayne was suddenly taken aback when Courtney suddenly attacked his lips. His eyes that were momentarily widened in shock slowly closed, taking a moment to hold her face in his hands firmly, deepening the kiss.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Courtney pushed him backward which he happily complied with, tumbling softly to the sofa in the room. Taking that momentum, Courtney laid on top of him, holding herself against Shayne as his hands wandered around her back and with hers holding onto his face and hair. Opening her mouth slowly, Courtney granted his tongue access and there they battled for dominance. Shayne relished every moment of this affectionate embrace with Courtney, his palms slowly caressing her arms and the expanse of her back, tracing nonsensical patterns on every surface Shayne could purchase on Courtney’s body. They stayed in their intimate embrace for quite some time, only coming up for air every now and again. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“God damn, frog legs, took you long enough.” Courtney managed to say after giving him a giddy breathless laugh. “I thought I’d have to actually physically manhandle you to get you to admit it.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Whu-what</span>
  <span>..?” Shayne managed unintelligibly, still breathless from the impromptu make-out session with Courtney. He was also reeling from what had actually happened and processing the implications and how it means for both of them.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"See, I sorta kinda maybe like you more than friends too. Like, I want to go on dates and stuff.” Courtney tucked herself into the crook of Shayne’s neck as she said this to him, tracing patterns on his chest and refusing to look at him, lest he sees the bright redness on her cheeks that came up as she admitted this to him. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure? This isn’t just some lucid fever dream I’m having, right?” Shayne was gaping, this being leagues better than how he expected her to react. He was prepared to have her scream at him, or even have her be politely frozen forever whenever she had to interact with him. Never did he think that she might actually feel the same, despite having Damien, and even Ian, telling him multiple times that things will turn out for the best.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, I'm sure you idiot. This is real, this is happening, and I really do like you back.” She said before pulling on his collar again and drawing him in for another kiss. But before she can deepen the kiss again, Courtney felt Shayne’s hands on her shoulder and tried to firmly separate himself from her, putting a small distance in between them. She whined a little bit in frustration, but allowed him to sit up, with her still straddling him a little.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t do this. </span>
  <span>Not when you can’t actually fully consent to whatever we’re doing right now. </span>
  <span>You’re drunk. I know drunk thoughts are sober words and all, but I am not about to take advantage of you despite how much I really want to </span>
  <span>ingrain into my mind </span>
  <span>feel how good you would feel in my arms.”</span>
  <span> Shayne rambled on, completely missing how Courtney was trying, and failing, to stifle her laughter.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Shayne. </span>
  <span>I haven’t been drinking. Like, at all.”</span>
  <span> She told him, unable to keep the smile and laughter off of her face. She saw him rake his right hand through his disheveled hair, while keeping the left one securely on her hips, helping her keep her balance.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re just saying that because you’re drunk”</span>
  <span> Shayne responded, unconvinced. He wasn’t watching her all night for nothing. He saw all those trips to the mobile bar.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I am not,” </span>
  <span>Courtney told him exasperatedly. </span>
  <span>” I haven’t consumed anything alcoholic tonight. I’ve only been drinking </span>
  <span>mocktails</span>
  <span> in commiseration with Monica and her wife.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But... I saw you. You were definitely tipsy and swaying when you were dancing.”</span>
  <span>  Shayne, ever the gentleman, gave her an out if she wanted it. Not that she wanted it, but Courtney couldn’t help the flare of adoration she felt for him at this point. This kind, considerate man. And how lucky she was that he felt the same for her as she felt for him.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I was swaying, but that’s because we were dancing, and it was a bit too hot in the dance circle. So yeah, I’m not at all intoxicated, and can definitely consent to whatever we do tonight.”  and to firmly get the point across to him, Courtney took his face in her hands again and kissed him hard, leaving no room for argument that she didn’t at all consent to this.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess we’re both kind of idiots, huh?”</span>
  <span> Shayne finally managed after a few minutes of them locking lips.  </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, no doubt for sure. But hey, at least I’m your idiot.”</span>
  <span> Courtney gave him a little nod and a sheepish grin. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Just in case it wasn’t clear, Courtney Miller, will you be my girlfriend?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Just in case it also wasn’t clear, Shayne </span>
  <span>Topp</span>
  <span>, I do want you to be my boyfriend.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, thank god. I wasn’t sure how long I would be able to pretend that I didn’t like you that much.” He released a sigh of relief he didn’t know he was keeping in; the heaviness he didn’t know he was holding in his chest suddenly dissipating. He felt like he could do anything at this point. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re so dumb. But I can take a wild guess how much you really like me.” And to punctuate her point, she rolled her hips against him, intentionally grinding her covered core over his rigid thickness. Shayne couldn’t help but suck in a breath, willing himself to calm down. Courtney was a girl who deserved to be wined and dined properly before any under the covers action should happen, at least to Shayne’s mind. (He’d give the world to her if she so but asked, but she didn’t need to know that just yet.)</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Courtney, you better stop before I do something we might regret.” Shayne tried to keep his voice even, but couldn’t help the little growl at the end of his sentence as Courtney took the hand of his that was on her hips and guided it firmly on her butt, egging him on and encouraging him to give it a little squeeze. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm, is that a challenge? Why don’t you do something about it, big boy.” Courtney whispered to him breathily then proceeded to trail kisses down his neck, giving him a few hickeys in the process. Not content with her handiwork, she looked him square in the eyes as she fondled her breasts with her hands. She enjoyed how Shayne seemed to swallow air, unable to keep eye contact with her as his gaze treacherously lowered down to her chest, and how soft and glorious it would feel in his hands.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Courtney... I swear to god, if you don’t stop right now, I won’t be able to hold myself back anymore.” It was taking every fiber of his being not to just give in to her ministrations. He was trying to imagine all the gross things he has ever done just to keep his cool and not give in to his baser, more primal urges, and Courtney was not helping one bit. She was actually actively fanning the fire, giving him small throaty moans every time she could feel him involuntarily buck into her.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Shayne?” She answered him brazenly, as if she wasn’t palming him through his jeans and trying to tug him along. Shayne gave her another warning look, eyes full of passion and promise that there will be hell to pay if she does not cease that very instant. All Courtney did was give him a devilish smirk and redoubled her efforts, giving him another deep kiss, and then slipping her hands inside his pants and stroking him lightly through his boxers. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, you asked for it.” Shayne suddenly snapped then, losing grip on whatever semblance of restraint and control he was managing to grasp onto. He took hold of Courtney’s waist and flipped them over so that now he was the one looming over her. He looked at her olive eyes and the full-blown lust evident in her pupils. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He made out with her again, but this time he was being the more aggressive one, biting her lower lips a little before soothing it with his tongue. Concurrently, his hands were roaming her back before resting just below her chest. He broke the kiss for a few seconds, looking her in the eye for permission to continue his exploration of her body. In lieu of giving him a verbal answer, Courtney instead took off her</span>
  <em>
    <span>(his) </span>
  </em>
  <span>hoodie, revealing the tank top she was wearing underneath. She then took his hands and placed them on her chest, Shayne getting the message loud and clear. He reciprocated by unbuttoning his flannel shirt and giving her free access as well.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They continued their exploration of each other’s body using their hands and lips. They continued examining each other for what felt like hours, but realistically was only a few minutes. Shayne happily gave her love bites and she retaliated, in turn, their hands eagerly groping and massaging everywhere they can get to. Shayne was then brought back to the realization of what exactly could happen when he felt Courtney once again fondle him through his boxers. He then forcibly stopped her, earning him a mewl of disappointment from Courtney. She was about to protest when he cut her off with a quick, chaste kiss.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>No, not here. I don’t want our first tim</span>
  <span>e together to happen</span>
  <span> in some random room.</span>
  <span>” Courtney was about to argue with him, but she saw the determination in his eye</span>
  <span>s. They promised </span>
  <span>untold pleasures if she </span>
  <span>goes with him on this, and she felt herself get wetter at the </span>
  <span>idea of him being dominating.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>F</span>
  <span>ineeeee</span>
  <span>. Your place or mine?</span>
  <span>” </span>
  <span>She acquiesced but not before </span>
  <span>giving</span>
  <span> him another lingering kiss. </span>
  <span>She found herself being hoisted up </span>
  <span>by him, and she couldn’t help but tease him a bit more by</span>
  <span> wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his hips, keeping her core pressed close to his length</span>
  <span>. All</span>
  <span> the while</span>
  <span>, she was </span>
  <span>giving him small nips on his neck and the underside of his jaw, leaving a trail of blooming bruises on them, </span>
  <span>leaving nothing to the imagination of what they were doing just mere seconds before. </span>
  <span>It also did not help that Courtney’s lip</span>
  <span>stick was smudged and her hair was mor</span>
  <span>e disarrayed than what was normal for her.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>As much as I love your place, my place is definitely closer.</span>
  <span>” Shayne managed to say </span>
  <span>after taking a minute to calm himself down</span>
  <span> and </span>
  <span>lessen the evidence of his need for her, not that </span>
  <span>Courtney was making it any easier for him.</span>
  <span> Shayne forced hi</span>
  <span>mself with great difficulty to </span>
  <span>unlatch Courtney</span>
  <span> from him. “</span>
  <span>Right, do the rounds, meet up back in ten?</span>
  <span>”</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They gave each other small nods, </span>
  <span>not trusting themselves</span>
  <span> to not get sidetracked</span>
  <span>. They made their rounds around the party, ignoring the knowing looks given to them by their friends.</span>
  
  <span>Sam and Olivia</span>
  <span> smirked</span>
  <span> at them</span>
  <span>, and just gave them knowing smiles. Shayne saw Damien standing suspiciously close with </span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span>, with the latter having her hand loosely holding </span>
  <span>Damien’s </span>
  <span>biceps. He wanted to </span>
  <span>give them </span>
  <span>shit for it, but he saw the look in his best friend’s eyes, </span>
  <span>promising answers if he waited, and mutually assured destruction if he pursued this now</span>
  <span>. Shayne gave Damien an acknowledging </span>
  <span>nod before he was accosted by Ian, </span>
  <span>clapping him on the back and just making weird gestures to him accompanied by unintelligible grunting.</span>
  <span> He extricated himself from Ian’s brotherly side hug, promising to talk to him later</span>
  <span>. </span>
  
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Courtney </span>
  <span>was decidedly faring much better than him, with just mirthful smiles from Monica, Tomey, </span>
  <span>and Sarah. </span>
  <span>Keith and Noah </span>
  <span>were too busy doing their own things, and they just good-naturedly gave them </span>
  <span>waves goodbye. </span>
  <span>Quickly saying their goodbyes</span>
  <span> to the</span>
  <span> rest of their </span>
  <span>friends from the crew, </span>
  <span>Shayne </span>
  <span>herded Courtney</span>
  <span> towards the parking lo</span>
  <span>t</span>
  <span> while holding her hand</span>
  <span>, trying to pick out </span>
  <span>her Fiat among the mass of cars there.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, where’s your car?” Shayne asked her after not finding it anywhere. Courtney was too busy with basically engulfing his arm with her body, and was a little startled by his question; she was too busy getting lost in her fantasy, and what was the best way to tease Shayne to get him all riled up.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“My car is in t</span>
  <span>he shop, </span>
  <span>so I </span>
  <span>took an uber here today.</span>
  <span>” She answered him after regaining her </span>
  <span>composur</span>
  <span>e. After noticing that she would have to ride with him now, she managed to craft a cunning plan to get him to dance on the palm of her hands.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“That sounds awfully convenient</span>
  <span>.  It’s as if you planned this whole thing.” He looked at her with fake suspicion in his eyes, unable to keep the small smile from his lips. She didn’t give him an answer, just kissed him on the lips again before laughing a little and tugging him along to his Honda Civic.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Who? Me? Why I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about, kind sir.” She answered, playing along. He gave her another quick kiss before separating from her and unlocking his car. Getting into the driver’s seat hurriedly, Shayne was a little disappointed that Courtney didn’t sit shotgun as she usually would whenever they drive in the car together. Shaking off the momentary displeasure, he focused on getting the car out of the parking lot and into the streets of LA. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They were halfway to his house when Shayne noticed how uncharacteristically quiet Courtney has been for the duration of the short trip. Shayne was a little worried that Courtney may have fallen asleep on him, so he looked at her through the rearview mirror to see how Courtney was doing and was a little taken aback when he saw her staring directly at him. He also noticed during the quick glance that she seemed to be a little flushed and panting. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne took a closer look at Courtney when they hit the next red light, and was shocked speechless at what she was doing. Courtney had her right hand down her leggings, with her other hand groping her own chest. He saw the moment she knew that he knew what she was doing, as she gave him a little smirk, and started saying his name in a soft raucous moan. He tried his best to ignore her and keep his focus on the road, which only set her off more, her once soft mewling of his name evolving to a near full-on scream. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne drove like a bat out of hell after that; he definitely ran at least two red lights after, in the interest of getting to his home as quickly as humanly possible. In record time, he was able to park his car, hoist Courtney from the back seat of his civic, lock the car, punch in his keycode for the entrance, unlock and lock his door behind him, and carry her over to his bed. All while this whirlwind was happening, Courtney was either laughing at him or giving him small nips on his neck. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>With great care, Shayne placed Courtney on his bed before slowly extricating himself from their embrace. With hunger in his eyes, he slowly took off the hoodie from Courtney, and laid a smoldering kiss on her lips. Courtney smiled into the kiss, taking off Shayne’s top in the process. Her hands mindlessly roamed the expanse of his well-muscled back, before settling on gripping his biceps, giving it a little squeeze, marveling at the firmness and sculpt of them as if it was the first time that she’s done so. Shayne was too busy memorizing the curves of her hips to tease her about this as he normally would, caught up in drinking in her form as if his life depended on it. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They both slowly undressed each other while they laid kisses on each new area they reveal, until they were both down to their underwear, Courtney in her matching black bralette and thongs, and Shayne in his black Calvin's. Shayne took a sudden sharp inhale, still not believing that this angel before him was his, and that she was allowing him to see her this vulnerable. Shayne sucked a hickey onto her neck, his primal urges allowing his lust to briefly take over and mark her as his. Courtney reciprocated this in turn, giving him a love bite of her own on his chest. He unconsciously jerked his covered length into her wet core, making her keen his name as her fingertips dug into her hold on his arms.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne, ever the gentleman, refused to take advantage of the current situation, and kept his hands from roaming too far. This frustrated Courtney, as she did not know whether he was avoiding her sensitive areas on purpose, or if he really just wanted confirmation from her before he does it. Either way, Courtney took it upon herself to tilt the board her way, shooting Shayne a smoldering look before taking her bralette off, revealing her marvelous orbs to his eyes, the slight chill in the air stiffening her peaks. Shayne was a little too shocked and lost for words, so she decided to guide his hands to her soft globes, his palms unconsciously groping them. He was awestruck at how wonderful they felt, and how they felt just right on his hands. His rough calloused hands played with her nipples, sending a bolt of white-hot lightning straight to her pussy, her already wet panties drenching themselves further. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>His lips gravitated to her chest, incapable of containing himself any further. He gave small pecks to her clavicles before slowly but surely making his way to her waiting bosom. He laved attention to her nipples, gently sucking on them and biting them alternately, while simultaneously stimulating the other nipple not occupied by his mouth using his hand. Courtney enjoyed every second of this, every little action causing her to moisten further and further.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She was all but ready to have him take her then and there, and he seemed to have caught onto that, when she saw him slowly making his way down her body with kisses. He took of her panties in the process, noticing how wet it was. She saw him take a little sniff as he was taking it off of her, and saw his nostrils flare at the recognition of her arousal. Courtney thought he was finally going to surrender to his urges when he came up once more to give her a deep kiss, but was surprised when he instead positioned himself in between her legs, hoisting her lower limbs so that he was right-center to her womanhood. She mentally thanked herself that she decided to participate in the recent Spelling </span>
  <span>Beekini</span>
  <span> Wax taping, getting herself a free clean up on her nether. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne trailed kisses from both her knees to near her crotch, never really going near enough to sate the ache in her loins, but enough to keep the flame burning hotter than she thought possible. She thrashed her head on his pillows, keening, and mewling, urging him to eat her up, and soothe the growing heat on her slit. Unable to help herself, she focused her eyes on him, and saw how much he was enjoying himself, a small almost sadistic smile on his lips challenging her. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I fucking swear to god Shayne, if you don’t fucking do anything in the next minute, I’ll just take care of things myself.” She spat out in frustration. She was angling to say some more expletives his way when he took this as his cue to finally give her what she wanted, and slowly inserted his index finger slowly into her wanting slit, cutting her off mid swear which turned into her whimpering. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He moved his finger in her at a leisurely pace, enjoying all the sounds he didn’t know she could make, sounds that only he was privy to. He gave her clit slow, deliberate, attention with his other hand, rolling it gently but with enough weight behind it that it was making Courtney see stars. Not giving her time to recover fully from this, he added another finger into the mix, and it took all that Courtney currently had not to scream the house down. She was breathing heavily at this point, nearing the peak of her need, but Shayne just would not push her off the metaphorical cliff. Catching her breath, she felt Shayne take one of the pillows beside her and sandwich it in behind her lower back. Not knowing what he was planning, she mustered her strength to look at him, and she saw that he was staring at her before slowly lowering his mouth to her slit, before caressing her slit with his tongue and then sucking hard on her clit.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Everything went blank for her then, nothing but the pleasure he was giving her mattered. He wasn’t content to just give her just the one climax; he continued his ministrations even as he felt her walls flutter erratically around his tongue and fingers, sending her into further mini orgasms. This cycle continued for what felt like hours to her but was probably only a few minutes. Taking a few minutes to recover, she grabbed onto Shayne’s locks loosely before pulling him up to face her, kissing him and enjoying her essence mixed in with his. They kissed languidly while she recouped, though Shayne kept on teasing her entrance with his deft fingers.  </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She took this opportunity to turn the tables on him, making him lie down on his bed. She ordered him to take his boxers off, before straddling him. She situated herself over his lap, teasing him by sliding her wet </span>
  <span>slit</span>
  <span> over his hardness, hearing him breathe in sharply. She continued this for a few seconds, his cock getting wetter and wetter before taking his member in her hands and pumping it leisurely, enough to excite him further, but not enough to push him off the edge.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Judging arbitrarily that she has taunted him enough, Courtney decided that Shayne needed to be rewarded for giving her a mind-blowing orgasm. She did this by sliding herself down and positioning herself between his legs, much like how he was situated between hers earlier. She continued the languid strokes on his hardness, sometimes pausing to spit on his dick to give it a couple more lubrication. </span>
  <span>Never breaking eye contact with him, Courtney took him into her mouth, shallowly at first, getting herself used to the sensation of him inside her orifice. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She heard him wheeze and groan through this, and felt his legs tense, obviously resisting the urge to jerk into her mouth. She felt the need to rile him up then, her hands that were on his legs paying lavish attention to his balls while she tried to take in as much as she can without choking. Courtney continued with this for near a minute, relishing in her power over him right at that moment, before she felt Shayne force her off of him, hauling her up so that he could face her. She gave a little whine of protest at this, but obliged him. He gave her a deep kiss before leaning his forehead against hers, sapphires staring into emeralds.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Why’d you stop me </span>
  <span>Shayney</span>
  <span>? It was getting to the good part too.” She whined into his ear as she nipped at his neck. “Don’t you want me to give you some release?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Believe me Court, next time, you can have at me in whatever way you like. But right now, I don’t want this to end too quickly.” Shayne took this time to maneuver them around the bed, placing her head gently on the pillows and situating himself on top of her again. He kissed her tenderly, placing all the passion he couldn’t form into words into that contact. Courtney reciprocated in kind, kissing him fervently and with need. Slowly, Shayne used his unoccupied hand to grab at his nightstand and pull a condom from off there. He gave her one final kiss before he situated himself in between her legs again. She saw the piece of foil in his hand and she felt the adrenaline rush through her and the heat between her legs to come back in full force. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Courtney, are you sure you want to do this?” Shayne asked her again, his eyes searching hers for any uncertainty or unwillingness. She smiled inwardly, her affection for him growing more and more even through this. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Instead of giving him a verbal answer, Courtney took the condom from his hands, opened it, and slowly unrolled it along his length, making sure to pinch the top. She pumped him a few times before guiding him to her entrance. Shayne kissed her soundly before he got into position, keep his eyes on her own. He slowly entered her as they stared at each other, their love for each other radiating off of them. He heard her gasp then groan a little when he managed to fully sheath himself inside her.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Courtney took some time to adjust herself around him. She was certainly not inexperienced, nor a prude, but Shayne was a little bigger than what she normally had to work with. This didn’t take away from the fact, the feeling, of perfection between the two of them; a jigsaw puzzle finally having all the pieces fit together flawlessly. They both felt elated and content at that moment, both giddy at the fact that this was just the beginning, and it would only get better from there.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Noticing that Shayne was fighting off the urge to thrust into her until she was ready, she signaled to him that she was ready by entwining her legs on his back, urging him closer to her. Shayne took the cue, slowly thrusting himself inside her, gazing into her eyes. He put all of his feelings into this one moment, that Courtney could understand that this wasn’t just sex for him; this was lovemaking, and by god, he was going to make it feel as special as he could. Courtney perfectly understood his actions, corresponding to him by holding him closer and giving him a languorous kiss, not as bruising as the first kisses they’ve both shared, but still as passionate.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne tried keeping up his pace, but the heavenly feeling of Courtney’s walls fluttering around him was very much taking all of his willpower. He was decided to finish with her though, so he let his hand not preoccupied with cradling Courtney travel down to her clit to caress her nub and make it more pleasurable for her. She gasped at this before moaning out his name, a sound he never knew he needed to hear until it left her very lips. Courtney tried to stifle herself from screaming out, knowing how close she was to climax again. She bit and sucked Shayne’s neck to try to smother her mewls, knowing full well that they’d both be covered in love bites come morning. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne knew he was close, and that it was imminent. However, he also knew that Courtney was really close to the edge as well, as he could feel the fluttering of her wall become more erratic. He took Courtney’s legs and hitched it around his waist more securely this time, before taking a pillow and placing it at the small of her back, angling her a bit so that he could increase the pleasure he was giving her. Seemingly in sync, Courtney arched her back and gripped his waist. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Balancing himself on his well-muscled arms, Shayne gave Courtney a smoldering kiss before single-mindedly focusing himself on sawing in and out of her, hitting her G spot with every stroke. Courtney could swear she was seeing stars, the world around her devolving and melding into mere sounds and colors apart from the singular focus that is Shayne. She screamed nonsensical words together with his name. She felt like a volcano on the verge of erupting, and Shayne was doing all that he can to make her explode. Courtney tried to help as much as she can, taking it upon herself to rub her nipples and clit, or meeting his hips whenever he drove into her. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The both of them could only hold on for so long, and Shayne managed to hold on long enough for Courtney to reach her satiety. He thrust into her a few more times before he fully buried himself into her core and unloaded his feelings into her. They stayed intertwined and basked in the afterglow until they both felt Shayne fully deflate inside her, at which point he stood up, took the condom off, tied, and threw it away. He took a small towel from his bathroom and wet it with some warm water and helped Courtney clean up. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>While all this was happening, Courtney was resting, relishing in the delight that they have both worked for. All the while, she just felt her fondness for him grow, at how caring and tender he is, even </span>
  <span>through</span>
  <span> it all. Satisfied with his work, Shayne threw the towel towards his hamper before gathering the covers and settling Courtney and himself under the covers. Snuggling closer, she gave him a kiss on the lips before tucking herself under the crook of his neck, before sighing contentedly. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you, Shayne.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you too, Courtney.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And with that, the both of them fell asleep in each other’s arms, feeling perfectly content for the first time in a while.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>====</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The sun shined through the small gaps between the blinds in his bedroom, waking Shayne up gently from his deep slumber. He groped around his bed hoping to feel a warm body next to him. Feeling nothing but cold space, Shayne briefly wondered if everything that happened last night was just a fever dream, and for a moment, a sense of panic overtook him. He bolted upright at this, prompting him to look around the room. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The random clothes and various clutter littered around his usually organized room calmed him, giving him some visible proof that it wasn’t just some lucid dream that he had. Courtney and him did get together last night, this wasn’t a mere fling, they were really an item, as elementary as that sounds. Smiling to himself, he picked up his discarded boxers from off of the floor and put it back on. He heard some music playing in his living room, and heard Courtney singing along. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He decided to surprise her by sneaking up behind her, but it was actually him that was taken aback. It was like his long-repressed desires and dreams were laid out before him. The only difference was that he was definitely not dreaming this scene up. There in his small kitchen was Courtney Miller dancing and singing to a song on her Spotify playlist, clad in his flannel shirt, and apparently nothing else as evidenced by the smooth skin showing from the deep vee down her neck. She finally noticed that he was awake after a few seconds of her performance. She took the cup of coffee he didn’t notice she had beside her, and took a sip, trying to hide the smile on her face behind the mug.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne surged forward, encasing her body with his arms, burying his face between her shoulders and relishing the feel of her in his arms. This was real. She was his, and he was hers, however primitive and boorish that might sound. He was sure that the same train of thought was passing through Courtney’s mind as well as evidenced by the small tears of happiness he saw in the corners of her eyes. They kissed softly, just savoring the feel of each other. After a few moments, they broke apart, breath heavy, and lips swollen. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leaving the coffee on his countertop, Courtney took his hands and directed him to his couch. She then pushed him down so that he was laying down on his couch. Courtney followed suit and laid on top of him, snuggling closer and molding herself to him. Shayne took a deep breath, feeling content with his life right now. Then a sudden, worrying thought crossed his mind.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“God, Ian and Damien are going to be insufferable, aren’t they?” Shayne chuckled as she saw Courtney scrunch up her nose at the thought of their friends’ reaction to their coupling.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, no doubt. But I’m sure Tomey and the girls would be way worse. Gossips, the lot of them. They’ve been waiting for one of us to just snap and make a move.” She laughed a little, just imagining their coworkers’ antics when the truth finally comes out.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“So, should we tell them? Officially?” Truthfully, Shayne didn’t care who knew of their relationship status. All that mattered to him was that Courtney knew she was very much an important component in his life.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah, let’s make them squirm a bit before we say anything.” She answered him, after giving it some thought. Their friends might already suspect things, but there was no way she was going to pass up the chance to prank them. She also thinks it would be so hot to sneak around set and try not to get caught doing R rated stuff with Shayne, but that was neither here nor there right now.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Have I ever told you I love you?” Shayne tightened his embrace on her, punctuating his words with a kiss. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up, </span>
  <span>you</span>
  <span> dork. But yes, and I love you too.”  Courtney hit him playfully before kissing him as well, fully content to just stay in each other’s arms. There’d probably be hell to pay come the time when they need to own up to their friends, but for now, they had each other. And that was all they needed.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>All was right with the world.</span>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I MAYBE REGRET WRITING THIS because this really got out of hand. I thought I would get probably 2000 words out of this, not this monstrosity.</p><p>Also, as a visual aid:</p><p>https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/275845545912766445/ - What Shayne was wearing </p><p>https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f2/cd/29/f2cd29805c445d81f0a7c133e393ba09.jpg - Hoodie that Courtney is wearing/stole in the story </p><p> ALSO: Cool, I share birthdays with Shayne.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Daddy Needs His Ass Cheek Valley Juice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A/N: Am I sorry? Probably, yes. But there’s a mature tag FOR A REASON. </p><p>Should I have not written this? Oh, yeah, without a doubt. </p><p>Will I write this again, given the chance? I am a creature of bad habit. </p><p>Also, how does Shayne feel about this? </p><p>ALSO, if you can’t handle sexual scenes, you’d best be careful now. I have seen many travelers enter, and none return. </p><p>AS ALWAYS, this is just something my twisted mind came up with. For the love of whichever you hold holy, please do not actively bother the people mentioned in this fic about this. Don’t be an asshole. </p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Shayne would like to think that he was very well versed in the art of self-denial. He prided himself on being able to stick with the strict guidelines he applied to himself. Like how he manages to stick to his workout and nutrition regimen.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>But this. This was totally different territory, if he was going to be honest with himself. (And he won’t, because plausible deniability, baby.)</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It all started innocuous enough, just random, intruding thoughts in his head he gets whenever he sees Courtney walk in or see her do something ridiculous during one of their shoots. Just the odd twinge of childish wants he sometimes gets, like how he wants to just hold Courtney's hand and maybe just engulf her in a hug just to feel how she might fit into him. </span>
  <span>Just random thoughts that he has dealt with before and managed to suppress. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe </span>
  <span>the small bit of </span>
  <span>drought </span>
  <span>in his personal relationships </span>
  <span>just left him a little more wanting than he personally liked</span>
  <span>. Otherwise, how else could he explain</span>
  <span> the erotic dreams </span>
  <span>he has been having? Having nocturnal emissions were bad enough, sure, but the fact that the number one actress in all of them was Courtney was something that plagued him more than he let on.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p><span>Being</span><span> a </span><span>psych</span><span> major</span><span>, Shayne knew that </span><span>dreams</span><span>, especially weird ones,</span><span> like these are </span><span>absolutely, </span><span>perfectly normal</span><span>. He </span><span>knows that </span><span>they do occur</span><span> from time to time, especially when </span><span>a person </span><span>hasn’t had </span><span>many outlets</span><span> for them. So, he tried to divest himself of those </span><span>kinds of </span><span>thoughts through </span><span>private, </span><span>manual manipulation</span><span>. It</span><span> had </span><span>worked for a </span><span>little </span><span>while before the dreams came back with a vengeance</span><span>, and the steamy visions </span><span>of his blonde co-worker </span><span>continued to bedevil him.</span> </p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He would find himself zoning out throughout the entire day, his gaze randomly and unconsciously settling on her lithe frame, </span>
  <span>dancing, and playing along with their other coworkers. He felt himself flex his hands reflexively, slightly crushing the La Croix can in his hand, wishing that it was around Courtney’s waist </span>
  <span>instead, pressing her closer to him. He tried to play it off by chugging the entire can, and trying to focus himself on finishing up the script he was working on with Monica and Ryan, and doing his </span>
  <span>darndest</span>
  <span> to not gawk at the blonde she-devil that was plaguing his every waking moment.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne failed miserably in that aspect, needless to say. Deciding that it was a wash of a day anyway, he tried to at least get away from her inconspicuously, secluding himself to the games room where he found Damien just chilling out and playing Dark Souls on the Xbox there, and just jumped in and ribbed his best friend good-naturedly</span>
  <span> on his game. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>For a few precious moments, Shayne was able to forget for a little while all the obscene things his subconscious mind was making him want to do to one unassuming Courtney Miller. This momentary reprieve helped buoy him until it was time to go home, actually managing to complete the script he was working on. He still slyly tried his best to avoid crossing paths with Courtney, but he’ll take the small wins he could get at this point.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He went to the gym again before going home, trying his best to actively tire himself out so that he’d be too fatigued when it came time to go to bed, and that he’d just pass out from the sheer exhaustion. Spoiler alert, it did not help Shayne. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It just made the vivid dreams more vivid, much more lucid, and much bawdier. This time, the dream was set in the </span>
  <span>Smosh</span>
  <span> Office, in the Mythical Conference Room. Shayne finds himself sitting in one of the chairs farthest from the door. That in itself wasn't that unusual for his dreams. What tipped him off that this was a sexy dream was the fact that his pants were around his ankles. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>That, and someone was giving some oral ministrations to him down there.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Confirming his suspicions, he found a head of blonde hair kneeled under the table, hidden from the dream onlookers in the dream office. Dream Courtney, noticing that he had noticed what she was doing, stopped what she was doing with momentarily to give him a cheeky smile before diving right back in. It didn’t take too long before her plans came to fruition, and Shayne found himself exploding inside her mouth. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She then made a show of swallowing his essence before he felt her tucking him back inside his pants. She discreetly stood up from her position, and he could see she had a few bits of fluids still on her lips. He pointed it out to her, and she smiled at him seductively before swiping it and wiping it off on her hair.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The dream cuts off a that, and he finds himself waking up alone on his bed, with messy boxers and a guilty feeling in his chest. After getting himself cleaned up, he laid back in bed with his head in his hands. The growing pit of remorse and dread in his stomach feeling all the more heavier with each dream he has.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He’s got it bad.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He’s got it so fucking bad.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>======</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>See, the problem wasn’t that he was dreaming of his close friend in non-publicly acceptable ways. Well, it was also part of the problem, but really the worse part was WHY it became a problem in the first hand. The real reason was that he was avoiding dealing with the certain situation that he had dug himself into. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>That is, namely, catching feelings for Courtney Miller. Which he promised himself that he would never do, always insisting that it was all brotherly love or whatever. Ian would usually make the poor taste of joking about it or just straight-up singing Sweet Home Alabama, which in turn made people think Shayne was a diehard fan of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Which made for a good </span>
  <span>cover story whenever someone asked why Ian kept singing it and definitely threw Courtney off the scent. Maybe.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>But the past few weeks of having the cycle of having the, arguably best, dreams of his life, and waking up and being unable to sleep again because of the shame and regret was taking a toll on him and his sanity. Shayne feared that the day where the lack of rest was going to make him do something stupid, like just sitting beside Courtney and just sleeping with his head on her lap, or straight up kiss her senseless not unlike how his dreams have been directing him to do. The fine line between the things he has been allowing himself to do in his dreams and the things he shouldn’t do in reality has been blurring quite a bit for Shayne, and he was unsurprised when Courtney finally caught on that something wasn’t quite right with him.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you alright Shayne? You seem to be a little on edge. That was like, the fourth can of La Croix you’ve completely crushed with your bare hands. Is something bothering you?” Courtney asked him, genuine concern marking her face, completely unaware that she was the root source of his mental anguish. She placed her hand on his shoulders, prompting him to look at her hand briefly before shifting his focus onto her deep emerald eyes. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah... yeah, everything’s great. Just a little bit tired, you know? In between all the shoots and the Twitch streams, I’ve just been a little exhausted.” Shayne longed to take the hand on his shoulder and intertwine it with his, or better yet, just have her sit in front of him while he embraces her from the back, resting his tired head on her shoulder and taking in her scent. Both options sounded like paradise at the moment, but he couldn’t indulge in it, so as not to scare her away. (Even though in his heart of hearts, he wanted so desperately to do that.)</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I get it, it’s been pretty stressful. But it looks like this isn’t just that for you. I know you thrive on a busy schedule, my guy. Are you getting enough sleep even?” She gave him a worried look. Shayne suddenly remembered where they actually were. In his quest to avoid being alone with Courtney, he chose to hide himself away in the Mythical Conference Room, the same room he dreamed he was in the dream. It didn’t help that it was already lunchtime on a rare </span>
  <span>Saturday</span>
  <span> workday, and the office was virtually empty, except for a few stragglers.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Courtney herself was a vision he couldn’t quite forget. She was wearing her signature Kill Me shirt, with her artfully distressed jeans. She wore light make up today, and had her thick black glasses on. She also had her hair in a rare ponytail, which set off one of Shayne’s forbidden fantasies. Shayne’s vision clouded with waking dreams of him dominating the bubbly blonde in front of him, making her kneel in front of him and controlling her by grabbing her ponytail. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne stopped himself forcefully from that particular train of thought, knowing full well how slippery that slope could be. He could already feel the inklings of desire that surged through his loins at the moment. Willing himself to ignore those thoughts, he instead focused on his breathing, closing his eyes for a moment, and maintaining a white-knuckled grip on the edge of the seat he was in. He missed the look of worry on Courtney’s face when he took a little too long in replying to her query. Managing some semblance of sanity, he faced her again, trying his best not to let his eyes stray from her own.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah, I’m good. Maybe a little less sleep than I’d like to have, but everything’s fine either way.” Shayne hastily replied to her, knowing full well that he sounded very unconvincing. This was mirrored on Courtney’s face, her features contorted to show how supremely unimpressed she was at the blatant lie. This was Courtney after all, his close confidant, his best friend, sometimes even closer than Damien. He usually tells her everything, that’s how close they actually are. Well, almost everything.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Shayne.” His name on her lips conveyed all the disappointment she felt from his attempt to lie, and the general unimaginativeness of his attempt at deceit. She folded her arms under her chest, unconsciously pushing her chest out, and unknowingly tormenting Shayne further. She gave him a scrutinizing glance before speaking further. “What’s really going on?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He could feel his metaphorical tipping point getting near, and he doesn’t know how long he can stop himself from giving in to his baser urges. He needed to do something about his current predicament, lest he does something that makes everything decidedly worse. He rubbed his face on his hand before sighing audibly, gathering up the courage to lay it all out. Courtney took this time to grab a nearby chair and seat herself in front of him. Shayne took one look at Courtney’s viridian pupils and the concern flooding them before he let the dam burst.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine. Fine! You know what? Fine. I’ll tell you.” Shayne focused his eyes on hers, and Courtney could see a little smidgen of self-loathing and guilt marring his normally peaceful cobalt eyes, piquing her interest and concern. He took a rallying breath before continuing on. “I haven’t been sleeping properly, because I have been having these weird... thoughts... lately.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Thoughts? What do you mean exactly?” Courtney was understandably confused, an adorable pout adorning her face. Shayne was either purposefully talking in a roundabout way, or he was trying to say something he didn’t want to admit.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been having... sexy dreams... about... a friend.” Shayne said slowly, not quite sure where he was going to go with this confession, or how it was going to end. Realistically, he knows things would be alright, it might even go better than his imaginations. </span>
  <span>But</span>
  <span> he was a worrier at heart.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What? sexy dre- oh. You mean?” Shayne could tell the exact moment she caught on to what he was hinting at. He knew she understood what he meant when her eyes widened and her nostrils flared.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” He refrained from digging himself further into his metaphorical grave. If she was going to find out, he was going to have her do the mental acrobatics that came with the truth.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“And about a friend?” She said slowly, choosing her words carefully. Courtney had a small hunch who it was, and she hoped fervently that she was correct in her deduction.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” She was getting tired of his one-worded answers, really. But if she knew Shayne as well as she thinks she does, Shayne being mum on something usually means she was hitting the nail right on the head.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Do I happen to know this friend of yours?” The way Shayne subtly flinched when she enunciated </span>
  <em>
    <span>friend </span>
  </em>
  <span>gave her all the confirmation she needed.  </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“More than you know.” He mumbled under his breath, hoping that Courtney wouldn’t catch it. Which he didn’t really need to do, had he been paying attention to Courtney’s face. She could barely suppress the grin forming on her façade, every second she spent needling him for answers making her surer of her conviction.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Is this friend of yours a girl?” Shayne winced a little when she asked him this, the pit of dread in his stomach growing more cumbersome every moment he spent answering her. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” Shayne answered in a small voice atypical of him, much to the delight of the olive-eyed beauty, by this time knowing full well who he was talking about. Otherwise, she might not be as smart as she thought she was. Out of self-preservation, he looked everywhere but the blonde in front of him, looking for any possible escape route in case everything continues going south. Unable to see any other exit aside from the one Courtney was currently in the way of, he resigned himself to whatever hell fate deemed he was fit to have. He buried his face in his hands, unable to look at her face that he was sure was full of disgust right at that moment.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Does this friend also happen to be... me?” He almost jumped out of his seat when he noticed how close their faces were. Shayne visibly gulped as he saw an unreadable expression on Courtney’s visage, his internal panic making him neglect the small twitch on her lips, and making him forget the fact that she was an actress for a living as well as him. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Courtney on the other hand was quite enjoying the deer-in-the-headlights expression that was adorned on Shayne’s face at the moment, knowing that she had hit the bullseye, and that the emotions she long thought were only one-sided on her part was very much reciprocated. She knew for a fact that Shayne never really had problems admitting to things unless his investment in the subject went beyond the practical and verging on the emotional. The evidence on this was damning because she has observed him enough to know that he’d rather hurt himself trying to bury this secret rather than confronting her, as she was much too important to him than he wanted to admit. Deciding to put him out of his misery, Courtney did the one thing Shayne wasn’t expecting her to do.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne was prepared for any number of reactions from her when she inevitably finds out that he had been essentially fantasizing about her. He was mostly anticipating her disgust and disdain, then maybe anger and hatred, maybe even distancing and the complete obliteration of the years of friendship that both of them shared due to the fact that he had been in essence, sexualizing her for his enjoyment. He was also ready for the </span>
  <span>far off</span>
  <span> contingency where he lost his job over this particular misconduct.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He was, however, unprepared for this exact scenario. This scenario being Courtney climbing into his lap, kissing him senseless, practically throwing herself at him. This left him dumbfounded for nearly a minute before his rational thought processes It took him a moment to realign his senses, subtly pinching himself to make sure that this wasn’t another waking dream he was having, before he reciprocated her kiss, using his lips to convey all the emotions he had been holding back for the sake of preserving the friendship between him and Courtney.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>His greedy little hands found purchase on Courtney’s waist and pulled her closer, just like he had daydreamed about for so long. Shayne heard her moan appreciatively, scooching closer to him, slotting herself into his arms, continuing to attack him with her lips. They stayed in this position for a good while, up until oxygen became an issue they had to deal with. Leaning his forehead against her as they both waited for their racing hearts to calm down, Shayne gave off a soft laugh, with a mixture of disbelief and gratitude. This wasn’t at all how he was expecting this particular conversation was going to go, but he would damn well make the most out of it.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I just want it on record that I had already caught feelings BEFORE my mind started betraying me with those dreams.” Shayne said abruptly, catching Courtney off guard. She managed to stifle down the raucous laughter that was threatening to spill out from her, but she couldn’t help the small bursts of giggles that escaped. He always did know how to get her to laugh.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re so dumb.” Courtney managed to tell him in between her giggles. Shayne didn’t need to put into words what he felt about her. His love language was focused more on action rather than words. Courtney didn’t need him to say anything anyway; she could read him like a book, and right now he was as open as they come. Shayne focused his eyes on her, a smile spreading on his face automatically. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne stood up and carried her in his arms bridal style out of the conference room, ignoring the wolf whistles and the jokes that he just knew were coming from Ian’s office. Courtney on her part chuckled good-naturedly and flashed her middle finger in the direction of Ian’s office, garnering her some chuckles and a fresh round of laughter. She then chose to bury her face in the crook of Shayne’s neck, the redness creeping up on her neck visible for everyone who cared to look. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They quickly made their exit from the office and made a beeline for Courtney’s Fiat, miraculously managing to keep their hands off each other. There would be time for further exploration later. As Shayne sat in the driver’s seat and got the car started, the wheels in Courtney’s head turned, and a wicked idea sprang forth in her mind. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“So, how about you tell me about these fantasies you’ve been having, and I’ll tell you the feasibility of them occurring in real life?” </span>
  <span>Managing to school her features, she looked at him deadpan before she joked about this with him. Shayne gave a small bark of laughter before he saw that</span>
  <span> Courtney was giving him a shit-eating grin, which he returned entirely. As they were pulling out of the parking lot, Shayne could only shake his head at this perfect woman, thanking whoever was listening that Courtney chose him of all people to be worthy of her affection. One thought rang through his mind as Shayne laced his fingers with hers.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>How could he be this lucky?</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This was a bit of a bitch to finish.  Mostly because I wrote this in the middle of the night. And on little sleep. I might do a follow up if I get more than enough sleep. Maybe.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. In Bed Asleep, While They Do Dream Things True</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>OR: Shayne hates Every Pregnancy Ever </p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A/N: This is technically a follow-up to Mommy Needs Her Liquid, but timelines are a construct anyway. If there are any discrepancies, well, it do be like that sometimes. As always, don’t be dicks, don’t bother the very real people who inspired this story. The title was stolen from a Shakespeare play.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Shayne wants it on record that he loves Smosh wholeheartedly. He believes in the content that they put out each and every time. But even if he loves it, that doesn’t mean that he does not loathe some of the things they put out. Shayne still shudders every time he remembers Every Bird Ever, among other stuff.  </p><p> </p><p>But this. </p><p> </p><p>This was on another level. </p><p> </p><p>Shayne feels the malice for this particular video deep in his bones, which really was very much unlike him. Despite this, he still absolutely despised filming Every Pregnancy Ever. </p><p> </p><p>It wasn’t that the exact content of the video was bad, to begin with. It was actually quite fun, and very much on-brand for their little YouTube channel, what with the very ludicrous scenes they were able to come up with, interspersed with the dark humor that they all knew was a hit with the fans. (The Ted Bundy nod was hilarious, in the right light.) </p><p> </p><p>What Shayne absolutely hated about it was that filming this particular EBE was simultaneously his worst nightmares and his deepest desires come to life. God knows how hard he has to restrain himself on regular days from just outright staring at Courtney when they weren’t doing anything special. He never knew how much of a mammoth of an undertaking it would be just to pretend he was aloof and unaffected when he saw Courtney sporting a fake pregnant belly, looking like she just walked out of one of his deep dark fantasies. Shayne promptly made up some bullshit excuse after filming their scene together and escaped to go find Damien to vent. </p><p> </p><p>Shayne tried explaining the exact feelings he was currently dealing with to Damien when the brunette noticed that his best friend was acting weirder than normal. Damien looked at him as if he had grown another head, then promptly teased him about it. However, this didn’t last long, much to the relief of Shayne. When Kimmy rolled into the set with a bump of her own, Shayne didn’t miss the subtle flaring of Damien’s nostrils, and the sudden quietude of his best friend, who then looked at him with eyes that conveyed he wholeheartedly understood where Shayne was coming from, an unspoken bond of solidarity forming. </p><p> </p><p>He was able to tamp down any stray uncontrollable sighs when he was doing the scenes with Courtney, but the little green devil inside Shayne reared its ugly head every time she had to act with someone else, irrational though it may seem. The gender reveal scene with Ian, being one of them. Shayne knew without a doubt that Ian was not interested in Courtney in any way that could be construed as romantic, but the little insecurities he had made him a little(lot) jealous of his friend. Shayne wishes he was above all of this, but he knew this envy was rather irrational, really. </p><p> </p><p>Shayne tried to mindlessly trudge through the surprisingly difficult shoot, amazing even himself that what they had on film wasn’t total hot garbage. And if anyone had noticed that Shayne was a little too overprotective of Courtney’s (fake) bump, they neither cared to comment on it nor were a little terrified of what the muscular blonde would put them through if they made light of it. He breathed in with a mixture of relief and longing when Ryan Todd finally called it and told them that the shoot was over. Shayne put on a brave façade and bid adieu to his fellow castmates before unsubtly leaving in a hurry, beelining straight to his stuff and hightailing it out of the office, missing the confused looks from his friends, and the longing that was obviously marring the face of Courtney Miller. He was too preoccupied with vacating the premises before he did something monumentally stupid, like maybe making the contents of this particular EBE true to life. </p><p> </p><p>Shayne didn’t know how or when he actually came home. When he actually realized he was already inside the sanctuary of his own apartment, he was already in the process of opening up his second bottle of the apple cider he had bought for Courtney the last time she hung out with him in his abode. Shayne had to physically restrain himself from running through the gamut of fantasies he had started having ever since the day’s shoot started, but ultimately lost the drive to stop himself from doing so. </p><p> </p><p>His treacherous mind filled his visions with images of Courtney holding hands with a little girl with blonde hair like hers and stormy eyes like his while stroking her belly, a small but noticeable bump making her smile more radiant. They were all walking together as what seems to be a family towards a stereotypical two-story blue house with white picket fences, while He and Courtney were sporting matching golden rings on their left ring finger, the little girl with them making grabby hands at him, urging him to carry her in his arms. Shayne mentally smacked himself, and laughed self-deprecatingly to no one in particular. He couldn’t believe just how deep he already was in this hole called love. </p><p> </p><p>Shayne knew it was beyond absolutely foolish to fall for Courtney more than he already was.  </p><p> </p><p>One wrong move, and this delicate balance he had so carefully put himself in would skew, and he’d tumble over into what seemed to be oblivion. </p><p> </p><p>But… </p><p> </p><p>If he does fall… </p><p> </p><p>Maybe she’ll fall with him. </p><p> </p><p>(He never really was a smart boy.) </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Grow old along with me, the best is yet to be</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A/N: I'm apologizing in advance for the oncoming walls of words. I also know that yes, this isn’t what I initially set out to do, but Damien and Kimmy just look really cute together. This really was inspired by a random, obscure, fic from days of yore. But it was fun to imagine this happening to soft boi Damien. As always, please be kind, and for the love of whoever you hold holy, don’t be dicks; stop harassing the very real people who this fic is based on. </p><p> </p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span> Jimenez was pissed.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>This was very weird for her part since she was generally a mild-mannered person as her friend would say. And she does try to follow the pacifistic route as like, a general life choice. But there were no two ways about it right now. (It’s the Filipino in her blood, her mom would say. They can endure so much, but when they get the fire going, ohhhh boy, does it keep going.)</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Yes, she was royally pissed. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span> And she was out for blood, Specifically, she was out for Haas blood. That damned boy of hers was very considerate, sure, but she had enough of waiting.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>See, it really all started when cupid’s arrow went on a shooting spree inside the </span>
  <span>Smosh</span>
  <span> office. It started with Shayne finally getting the nerve to ask Courtney out officially, and it all rippled from there. New couples kept popping up one after another in the office, and </span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span> couldn’t begrudge that. Damien and she got together not too long after that started after all. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>That wasn’t the problem. The problem was that three years into the relationship, and having spent time with both of their families, and knowing that both of them had a mutual understanding already that if Damien ever pops the question Kimmy would readily agree, and Damien still has not even hinted at it. Three years. This was fine really, and normally, she would just give him a pass. They weren’t actually rolling in money, despite popular belief. That was actually one of the deciding factors when they decided to move in together. Maybe he was just being frugal and saving up for it bit by bit.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>But a certain chain of events pushed her to the brink and plunged her over the chasm of anger.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When she spares it a thought, it started with Noah proposing to Tiffany, not that there’s anything wrong with that. They’ve been together for the better part of six years by then, and if anyone deserves that shot of happiness, it would be Noah. She could deal with that. Then came Shayne making a movie worthy proposal to Courtney, and it would have been so beautiful to watch on video too, had the couple not been averse to putting their relationship status on blast over the web. </span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span> understood completely, even though some haters were judging them for going too fast, as the two were only together for just a little over a year by then. </span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span> reasoned for them, saying to herself that they technically had been together for longer than that, what with the length their “close friendship” had taken. She already knew Olivia and Sam were secretly married in a court wedding, having accidentally stumbled on that occasion as she was running some errands around Los Angeles.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span> was even supportive, although a lot surprised when Ian announced his marriage, not proposal, to Kari Miller, who just suddenly turned up to the office waving two rings around in the air. This was a dark horse to most of the office, aside from Shayne and, much to her own chagrin, Courtney. The blonde in question was a little bit peeved, mostly because of the realization that Ian is legally allowed to call her his little sister, and he was allowed into Miller family gatherings. </span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span> was fine with that, too. Ian was her boss and friend, after all. Far be it </span>
  <span>for </span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span> to not wish Ian the best of luck to his relationship. But the last straw was when Tommy himself announced that he was due to be wed in the coming months. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>That was when </span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span> saw red. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She had nothing against Tommy, mind you. She absolutely supported and adored the whimsical editor of theirs. Love was love after all, and she wholly believed that, lest some misguided fool takes her mild disappointment as her being against same-sex marriage. What ticked her off was that she knew Tommy was with his partner for way less time than </span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span> had been with Damien. (She knew that life wasn’t a race, but still. That boy of hers couldn’t pick up on the clues she had been all but throwing his way.)</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>After a brief round of congratulations went, </span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span> quickly excused herself from the celebration to go hunt for the man in question. She knew for a fact that Damien had no shoot today, and was instead involved in writing some sketches with the </span>
  <span>Smosh</span>
  <span> boys, namely Ian, Shayne, Keith, and Noah. She found them in the games room, with most of them messing around, and only Shayne and Damien actually trying to get work done. </span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span> saw him laughing a little bit, and her blood boiled irrationally.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“DAMIEN CHRISTIAN HAAS!” She screamed, and the people in her immediate vicinity suddenly stopped and were forced to keep their focus on him. The man in question suddenly snapped his head up and focused his amber eyes on her. Damien could see the fire in her whisky eyes, and he reflexively gulped. If he knew anything about relationships, which he didn’t admittedly, is that there’s an 80% chance that he actually was in the wrong on whatever this argument was going to be about. Bracing himself, he collected his scattered thoughts and put on a calm demeanor before answering her.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, babe?” Damien answered his livid girlfriend meekly, an uncertain smile on his face, already formulating way on how he could get himself out of this confrontation. The best practice really was to let </span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span> run out of steam, and get her fury out of the way, getting her in a level-headed state, though Damien could see that this was a little different from those other times when </span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span> was on a warpath. Shayne and Ian tried to make themselves appear as little as possible so as not to catch the ire of </span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span>. Noah and Keith, wisely, escaped at the first hint of danger, also because they were closest to the door. The trio could all see </span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span> starting to wind up, just as Courtney and Olivia wandered over to see what the commotion was about.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I have been patient, and understanding, and supportive, and everything in between. But you, I don’t know what it is you are waiting for. I have been dropping hints left and right, and I don’t know whether you have just been being obtuse on purpose, or you just don’t want the same things that I want. So, I need you to answer me honestly, am I just waiting for nothing? Are you going to put a ring on it or nah!?” </span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span> managed to force out her spiel, pacing around the limited space in the room, caught up in her thoughts. In her tirade, she didn’t manage to see Damien’s face change from abject horror, to solemn understanding, then finally a mirthful smile. Managing to contain himself, Damien let her continue on until she finally turned to face him. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Well!?” Her face contorted into some form of fury, further evolving when Damien looked around to see that the entire squad was close to bursting from laughing. Unable to hold back any longer, the room dissolved into a cacophony of laughter, much to the rage of </span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span>. Whatever reaction </span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span> Jimenez was looking for, she was sure that this wasn’t it. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Her ire burned stronger, and she was about to shout some more at Damien when he finally collected himself, standing up to engulf her in a bear hug, dissipating </span>
  <span>Kimmy’s</span>
  <span> wrath a little. Damien chuckled under his breath before he brought out two different ring boxes, opening and placing them on the table. </span>
  <span>Kimmy’s</span>
  <span> eyes bulged a little, unable to formulate words at this revelation. Damien shrugged his shoulders a little before explaining himself.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span>, I’ve been trying to propose to you for the last, what, 14 months?” He turned around for confirmation from the others in the room who conceded with him. “Everyone in the squad has been an accomplice to a scheme at least once. Heck, Shayne and Olivia even got formally officiated so they could do marriages. Shayne even officiated Ian’s technically shotgun marriage, which pissed Courtney off for a few days.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She tried to at least say something, but she was suddenly at a loss for words. Taking that as his cue, Damien continued on.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I think the first time was around Christmas, just after your family reunion. I tried hiding it in a glass of champagne we were having while singing Karaoke with your family, and you accidentally tossed the glass and broke the first ring. Then the next time was around Noah’s birthday aka Valentine's day, when I gave you that giant teddy bear. You didn’t notice the ring box that was </span>
  <span>concealed in his hand. I left it for nearly a month before giving up on that idea. Then there was </span>
  <span>Smosh</span>
  <span> Summer Games. I almost lost a ring there, but that time it was mostly my fault.” Damien chuckled at the memory, while the peanut gallery chimed in every now and again. “Then there was our anniversary, your birthday, my birthday, last Halloween when we went as </span>
  <span>Deku</span>
  <span> and </span>
  <span>Ochako</span>
  <span>, last thanksgiving... honestly, I’ve lost count at this point. I was a little peeved the first few times the plans went awry, but now it’s become a sort of running gag at the office. The sentiment really never went away, though. I do want to marry you.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span> was a little dumbfounded at the revelation, unable to fully process the events that unfolded. This wasn’t what she expected to hear, clearly. The fact that her wonderful, considerate boy had been trying, and failing, to propose to her for quite a while was turning her world upside down. Sensing her discomfort, Damien hugged her again, cocooning her safely in his arms. She sniffled a bit, too overcome with emotions while processing his words in full. The squad took their leave then, giving the couple some time to themselves.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span> was able to gather her wits about after a few minutes of letting the reality of the situation sink in. Her once crestfallen face now changing into a smile full of hope. Taking a few more moments to savor the protective cocoon of her boy’s arms around her, she took a deep breath to steady herself for what could happen in the next few seconds.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Soooo</span>
  <span>.... you want to marry me?” </span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span> tried to lighten the mood a little, considering the fact that she initially came in the room to hand Damien’s ass to himself. She saw that it worked, seeing as Damien smiled bashfully, going as far as acting out the dreaded UWU, which made </span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span> laugh at her soon-to-be Fiancé's antics. She hit him playfully to get him to stop reenacting those specific movements, unintentionally causing her and Damien to fall to the couch, with her ending up sitting on his lap. Damien’s sunny smile lit up his face when he noticed that she had lightened up as well, prompting them to a fit of giggling.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I would like nothing more than to marry you at this point in time. How about you?” Damien resumed the discussion after they got their giggles under control, his arms reflexively cocooning her body. </span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span> snuggled up closer to him, burying her face in his chest and inhaling his scent. She took her time deliberating her answer, despite knowing full well what it was. She watched him squirm a little, and decided to put him out of his metaphorical misery.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Why yes, more than anything in the world. Why did you think I was in such a state earlier?” She answered him with mirth in her eyes. </span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span> could feel her smile, nay grin, grow impossibly </span>
  <span>wider, her chest fit to burst with elation. Damien took this time to get her stood up, before taking both of the rings from the boxes and getting on his knees.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Well then, Kimberly </span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  
  <span>Hittleman</span>
  <span>, sometimes in videos and I wish it was all the times in videos, Jimenez, would you do me the honor of being my bride?” Damien asked with a dramatic flair as always, his voice steady and eyes glowing with adoration. </span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span> nodded enthusiastically, not trusting her voice not to crack with emotion, her eyes brimming with tears of happiness. Taking that as his cue, Damien stood up from his kneeling position and slid both of the rings in his hand onto their rightful place on her left ring finger. </span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span> felt herself overcome with bliss, unable to stop the few tears that slid out of her eyes. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“If it wasn’t obvious enough by now, yes, you dork.” </span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span> responded albeit a little muffled, as she was currently burying her face in the crook of Damien’s neck. She managed to look him in the eyes after getting a little hold on her emotions, enough that she wasn’t openly tearing up at the fact that she was engaged, and will be Mrs. Jimenez-Haas in the future. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Awesome, great, cool </span>
  <span>beansssss</span>
  <span>.” Damien replied nonsensically unable to keep the joy on his </span>
  <span>faceade</span>
  <span>. He was equal parts elated that he had finally managed to propose to the love of his life, and amused that after all the previous planning and machinations he had had to do previously, all it would take was for Tommy to get asked first for </span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span> to get jealous enough to take matters into her own hands. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Should we tell them?” She asked, still in caught up in her own little bubble. </span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span> was unaware that Ian had left one of the cameras rolling on purpose, and that it was currently streaming to a nearby television. Damien on the other hand was quite aware of it, having been friends with the </span>
  <span>Smosh</span>
  <span> co-founder for quite some time now, and knowing just how Ian likes playing tricks on the unaware. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh </span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span>, as if the squad hasn’t been eavesdropping by the door.” Damien said with a little chuckle. As if on cue, the door to the room burst open, and out came tumbling Courtney, Olivia, Sarah and Ian, smiling sheepishly at the couple as they hastily stood up. Meanwhile, Jackie, Keith, and Shayne were just standing behind them with their arms crossed and shaking their heads. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Before </span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span> could react to their eavesdropping, girls swept her away from Damien, piling congratulations on her quite recent engagement, and poking fun at the fact that Damien put not one, but two rings on it. Courtney, Sarah, and Olivia fawned over the rings that were now on her finger. The first ring was a modest gold band with a Marquise-cut diamond in the center, with spinel and peridot dotted around it; the second one was a white gold band with a rose gold rose and a circle-cut diamond in the middle. Courtney can’t help but compare her own engagement ring to </span>
  <span>Kimmy’s</span>
  <span>, her 24-karat gold engagement ring with a princess cut diamond in the middle in between alexandrite and blue sapphire stones oddly similar to the brunette’s own engagement ring. The blonde and the brunette looked at their significant others who then smirked at each other before admitting to them that they had the same jeweler craft the rings for them.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The boys on the other hand lauded Damien for finally managing to propose after all his maneuvering, with Shayne being particularly vocal about his support for his best friend. They all laughed heartily at the Damien’s antics, especially when they re-watched the footage of the proposal, and how Damien’s spiel mimicked the sugar-free red bull fueled chaos he brought whenever they shoot an episode of What’re Those. Damien smiled bashfully at the compliments, his ears turning a bright shade of pink. Even amongst the crowd that was steadily forming around them in festivity, their eyes naturally found each other, content in the actuality that he was hers, and that she was his. And they were perfectly content with that.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Ian eventually called for an early and extended lunch break to properly celebrate the engagement of Damien and </span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span>, to the delight of the entire office. They all decided to go to Buca </span>
  <span>di</span>
  <span> Beppo, with Ian promising Damien and </span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span> that they could leave a little earlier that day so that the couple could properly “celebrate” their engagement. Their friends ribbed the couple at that quip, with Olivia and Courtney leading the charge in making sexual innuendos and puns at </span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span> and Damien’s expense, and the couple taking it good-naturedly. They didn’t try to deny it either, both of them knowing how their day would most definitely going with them in their shared bed, clothing optional.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Their group split into different carpool groups as they headed off to the restaurant, all of them deciding to let Kimmy and Damien have some space in their own respective car. The couple, though elated by their friends’ support, were a little relieved to have some space to themselves. Kimmy guided him to her car, relishing how the rings felt in their clasped hand, subtly nudging him to get in the car as she unlocked it. Damien meekly followed her instructions to get in the car, still a little lost for words taking her unoccupied hand in his when they were settled inside. He was really just a bundle of nerves and happiness at this point, giddy at the prospect of actually living out his entire life with the wonderful woman beside him, and excited at facing the unknowable future with Kimmy. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Damien knew, though, that whatever life throws at them, they can get through it. Together.</span>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>A/N: Weak ending, yes. But better than no ending, yes? Also: 600 reads on WP and 1100 in Ao3? Pinch me, I must be dreaming. </p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Ass Cheek Valley Needs Daddy’s Juice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A/N: First off, I AM SO SORRY FOR THE FIRST FEW LINES. But it just works, alright? It gets the point across. I (probably) wasn’t lying when I made this collection mature. So, for those of you offended by adult themes, please kindly leave. If you do decide to continue, well, best be careful now. If you don’t know who Banana Mojo is supposed to be, well, you’re probably a little too young to be reading this. </p><p> </p><p>Also, this got out of hand. Again. And I for sure don’t know if I’m using semi-colons right, and I am definitely mixing metaphors. I felt compelled to finally finish this when SOME PEOPLE (You know who you are)  kept on posting drama-teasing and drama-centric updates this past week. (Just kidding, I loved the updates. I just wanted a reason to justify actually writing and finishing this.) </p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The sound of skin slapping on skin. Barely suppressed moans. Heavy breathing and quick gasps of breath in between wet kisses.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Fucckkkk</span>
  <span>, that’s it, baby, right there... You’re making me cum... </span>
  <span>fuckkkk</span>
  <span>... </span>
  <span>Shayneeeee</span>
  <span>”</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Courtney Miller woke up in the middle of the night with a cold sweat on her brow, and a moan dying on her lips. She felt the pleasant heaviness on her core, and she was unsurprised to find that her hands had subconsciously wandered over there as she was having another of her sex dreams. She let herself catch her breath first before getting up and going to the bathroom to clean herself up and get herself a fresh new pair of panties. Once she was done with those things, only then did the reality of what just transpired hit her, and Courtney’s ears burned red with shame.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>See, this wasn’t exactly the first time she had a sex dream about Shayne. To be completely honest this one wasn’t even the worst of them; the dreams had actually been getting more frequent and more graphic these past few weeks. Even before the dreams were occurring at a regular rate, it had seemed to almost always just be comprised of Shayne or some facsimile of him anyway. (Or two, if her subconscious had been feeling particularly frisky.)</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Courtney normally avoided going down that particular rabbit hole, due to it usually ending with her hands down her underwear and barely suppressed mewls, all the while pretending that the hands that were playing with her hole were more calloused and muscular and not her own. This then caused her to feel shame some more, her Mormon upbringing rearing its head and biting her metaphorically in the ass. (It wasn’t merely lying that hurt her poor Mormon bones, but if that’s what her friends want to believe, well, Courtney wasn’t one to refuse to take the easy way out sometimes.)</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Courtney would normally be able to brush these kinds of dreams off and pretend that it did not even take place, putting her acting chops to good use. However, Courtney was getting worried that maybe Shayne had more than an inkling of what has been happening inside her brain and heart even through all the hoops and jumps that she had been going through to keep her feelings as </span>
  <span>lowkey</span>
  <span> as possible. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Otherwise, what other reason could there be for Shayne’s general skittishness every time they had to interact these past few weeks?</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Okay, so Courtney might have been ogling him a bit more recently. And she might also be spacing out a little bit more in the office when she was alone with Shayne, especially when she thinks no one was paying her any attention. But who could really blame her? The man was fine as fuck, if the recent fantasies haven’t clued anyone in. He was built like a brick </span>
  <span>shithouse</span>
  <span>, and lord only knows how strong he actually was. (The recurrent fantasies of Shayne being an actual top and taking her forcefully before leaving a </span>
  <span>sizeable</span>
  <span> load in her made her blush like a ripe tomato and made her feel all tingly inside and a little bit wet.)</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>But it wasn’t purely a physical attraction; Courtney knew that for certain. She liked Shayne for more than that. She liked how caring he was; how he respected boundaries and wouldn’t even dream of doing anything without permission. Courtney fondly remembers the first few times that they hugged, and how she had to explicitly say that he was cleared to hug her as much as </span>
  <span>he needed, though he still asked her every time. This made her feel like jelly inside, but she still adamantly holds to her belief that things were purely platonic for them. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She tried to elaborate this to Marissa and Kari once, and all they did was sing Sweet Home Alabama at her, they then proceeded to snigger and snort at her when she tried to defend herself and tell them that Shayne didn’t see her as anything but a friend and co-worker. They would just quietly let her hem and haw every single time Courtney debates her feelings about the man, then shut her down and tell her that Shayne did have feelings for her, if their </span>
  <span>Smosh</span>
  <span> vids were anything to go by. (Courtney sometimes regrets letting her closest sister and her best friend cross paths, purely because their teasing can get a bit much.)</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It also didn’t help that Ian had basically dropped pretenses, and just not so subtly assigned Courtney to work with Shayne on several tasks that somehow ended up with the two of them having to spend time together in close quarters. Damien, Olivia, Keith, and Noah, had also basically betrayed her on this, offering her no escape whenever Ian unsubtly tries pushing them together, despite her adamantly holding onto her previous statement that she saw Shayne as nothing but as a brother. Damien and Noah had a few choice words about that, but it basically boiled down to Joffrey Lannister, which caused her to gag, and Luke and Leia, which infuriated her and fouled her mood. (Courtney was further aggravated when she came to the realization that the insinuated incest was what got her mad, not that she had feelings for Shayne.)</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sure, she was probably in denial about her feelings, but what else can she do? Confess her feelings to Shayne? No way, Jose. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She’ll deny it as long as she has to. (Hopefully, not for long, the treacherous part of her heart seems to echo.)</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>========</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Courtney somehow knew it was going to be a weird Saturday the moment she woke up that morning.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>For starters, she woke up after a very pleasant and fulfilling sex dream about Shayne (again, a regular occurrence). She explored the power and control she had over him in this erotic dream by initiating a blow job in the (dream) Mythical conference room, which was par for the course for her libidinous mind nowadays. She gave herself some manual relief as she remembered the dream while she was having a shower, then </span>
  <span>after, she</span>
  <span> had shaved off her pubic hair. She then, for some reason, decided to go to work in the get-up she had worn in the dream, mainly her hair in a ponytail, a touch of light make-up, her black-rimmed glasses, her black Kill Me shirt, artfully distressed jeans, and her beat-up Chucks. It was just the occasional Saturday workday to catch up on scriptwriting and ideas pitching, after all, no need to be all glammed up and ready for a shoot. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>With a spring in her step, she marched on into the </span>
  <span>Smosh-Mythical</span>
  <span> Office, ready to get her work over with so she can just hang out with her friends. (Well, Shayne, mostly, but no one needs to know about that.) Predictably, most of the squad had actually finished their assigned tasks on time, so the office was working on a skeleton crew. It was actually just her, the editors, Ian, Shayne, and some of the Mythical crew that was in the building, so it wasn’t like it was crowded at all. It was actually very quiet, or as quiet as a company that produces mostly comedic fare can be. With that in mind, Courtney found it a little strange that Shayne would choose to take his work to the Mythical Conference room, and she thought nothing of it at first. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>However, when three hours had come to pass with mostly radio silence from Shayne aside from the occasional heavy sighs and the sound of aluminum clans being crushed with violent force, Courtney had grown a little worried for him. A (mostly) silent Shayne was one thing. A Shayne that was borderline violent, albeit with cans? That was very worrying. (Looking back, this actually should have clued her in.)</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And although Courtney desperately wanted to not stray close to Shayne until she could fully make up her mind regarding her feelings about him and the carnal fantasies that she has been having about him, her need to make sure that Shayne was all right won over her trepidation. Gathering her resolve, she made her way slowly to the conference room, careful not to agitate Shayne any further. She could see that Shayne looked a little worse for wear, dark circles prominent under his eyes, staring blankly at the wall, gaze fixated at nowhere at all. He looked a little bit pale under the fluorescent lighting of the room, a far cry from the usual vibrance he would display. Courtney’s eyebrows furrowed, wanting nothing more than to take the man into her arms and soothe him, allowing him some respite from whatever was troubling him. She somehow managed to stop herself from acting on that desire, and instead merely positioned herself close enough that she could reach a hand to him if need be.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you alright Shayne? You seem to be a little on edge. That was like, the fourth can of La Croix you’ve completely crushed with your bare hands. Is something bothering you?” Courtney managed to get out quite evenly, without any evidence of her previous nervousness, placing her hand gently on his shoulder. She somehow was able to resist the urge to ogle at his well-defined arms, barely dissuading herself from acting on the pure wanton lust she had been experiencing for him. She took a slow steadying breath, allowing herself to focus on the task at hand, and not at the hand that was subtly caressing Shayne.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah... yeah, everything’s great. Just a little bit tired, you know? In between all the shoots and the Twitch streams, I’ve just been a little exhausted.” Shayne managed to reply, his words sounding monotonous and just a little bit forced. Courtney could just tell that he had been practicing on saying this, and it would’ve worked on anyone else. Anyone but her. Courtney let it slide for now, though. Shayne would tell her if it was really anything to worry about.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I get it, it’s been pretty stressful. But it looks like this isn’t just that for you. I know you thrive on a busy schedule, my guy. Are you getting enough sleep even?” She decided to play along with him and ask him the obvious questions, hoping that this would prompt him to tell her the truth. She knew she hit the nail on the head when she saw him flinch a little at the mention of sleep, his hands grabbing the armrests of the chair in a white-knuckled grip.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah, I’m good. Maybe a little less sleep than I’d like to have, but everything’s fine either way.” Shayne lied unconvincingly, his eyes looking a little glassy. Courtney was certain now that something was going on with him, because though Courtney </span>
  <span>knew for a fact that Shayne usually kept his cards close to his chest, he never really kept things from her, and in the off chance that he did, Shayne would normally be able to lie more convincingly. He was an actor for a living, for crying out loud.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Shayne.” Although Courtney said it softly, her tone of voice and eyes conveyed how unconvinced and, frankly, how disappointed she was. She slowly withdrew her hand from his shoulder and crossed her arms across her abdomen at that to show her displeasure, accidentally accentuating her chest, and she couldn’t help the small flare of arousal she felt when she noticed the subtle flare of his nostrils and how his gaze had lingered on the curvature of her breasts for more than a second when she crossed her arms, but she dares not get her hopes up. Maybe Shayne was just a little </span>
  <span>loppy</span>
  <span> due to the professed lack of sleep. It didn’t need to mean anything. At least, that’s what she keeps telling herself. Courtney pursed her lips slightly before returning to the task at hand, mainly, pressing Shayne for more details. “What’s really going on?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine. Fine! You know what? Fine. I’ll tell you.” Shayne whispered-shouted, his eyes which were normally calm azure lagoons turning into manic stormy seas. Courtney could see the self-loathing and guilt he was feeling, the despair apparent on his face before he took a rallying breath and schooled his expression into a cold mask. “I haven’t been sleeping properly, because I have been having these weird... thoughts... lately.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Thoughts? What do you mean exactly?” To say she was befuddled was an understatement. One of the qualities she liked (loved) about Shayne was his straightforwardness. And Shayne was rarely straightforward, so if he was acting like this, Courtney could only deduce that it was something he would rather not talk about, or at all.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been having... sexy dreams... about... a friend.” Shayne enunciated his words at a deliberate glacial pace, very much looking to prolong the inevitable shit show that was coming upon him. (At least, that’s what he thinks will happen.)</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What? sexy </span>
  <span>dre</span>
  <span>- oh. You mean?” Courtney was sure she misheard what he said, but the sudden silence and meekness that exuded from Shayne confirmed what she thought she heard. Courtney was a bit stunned at the current turn of events, but she tried to keep her face neutral. The sudden flaring of her nostrils and the widening of her pupils didn’t go unnoticed by Shayne, but the blonde misconstrued it as derision for him rather than the erotism that it actually was.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” Shayne managed to answer in a small, timid voice, a polar opposite to his normally boisterous, booming voice. He was unwilling to answer more than he had to, reasoning to himself that if he was going to make a fool of himself already anyway, might as well have Courtney partially do the legwork.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“And about a friend?” </span>
  <span>A small flutter of hope danced treacherously in her chest, but Courtney endeavored to quieten this sliver of optimism. He could be talking about any of the ladies in the office, really. Just because she was already having sex dreams about him does not mean that he was having sex dreams about her, no matter how much she wants that to be the reality.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” Shayne wanted nothing more than to have the Earth open a gaping hole centered where he was sitting right now and have himself get swallowed up, but that was a pipe dream. He just </span>
  <span>settled on answering her meekly with one-worded answers, hoping that Courtney would get fed up with him and just drop the subject. Alas, that didn’t seem to be in the cards at that moment. Shayne could see the gears turning in her head, the blonde hair of hers making it look like a literal light bulb had gone off in her head when she shook it.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Do I happen to know this friend of yours?” Courtney tested the waters, carefully emphasizing the word </span>
  <em>
    <span>friend</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and was a little delighted when she saw that Shayne had noticeably flinched at her choice of words, how his eyes had gotten impossibly wider when she said friend.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“More than you know,” Shayne mumbled, pointedly looking at anything but Courtney. He was obviously already trying to think of ways on how to do damage control with this incident, figuring that the chances of him coming out of this unscathed were astronomically low. Which was perfect for Courtney, because it gave her some leeway to goad some more answers out of Shayne.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Is this friend of yours a girl?” Courtney could see Shayne wince, then visibly gulp at this. She could see the physical evidence of the dread that was encapsulating Shayne, which caused her to smile. For someone so observant, Shayne could be so blind at times.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” Shayne sounded so small then, like a child being chided after being caught doing something inappropriate, and Courtney couldn’t help but feel a little guilty that she was partly to blame for his current state. She could see how he was trying to avoid making eye contact with her, his eyes wildly looking around the room on purpose.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Does this friend also happen to be... me?” Courtney could see the very moment that Shayne was able to process what she said to him. Shayne turned impossibly whiter, his white-knuckled grip tightening even further on the arm of the chair he was sitting on, his eyes growing wide in horror, fully convinced that Courtney was going to castigate him and quite possibly castrate him for even daring to think of her in a sexual way. He was already preparing himself for the worst possible outcome, his mind too high strung to even contemplate the possibility that maybe Courtney might feel the same way as him.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Courtney herself was actually in quite a bind as well. On one hand, this was more than enough confirmation that the beautiful man in front of him did have feelings for her, with him </span>
  <span>stating explicitly during the first few months of their employment and friendship that he never had erotic fantasies about people unless he was interested in them romantically as well. On the other hand, it had been years since he said that, and people change, so Shayne might have changed his stance on that. She worried her lips, unable to come to a decision on what to do with this new development until she saw that Shayne was close to bolting from his seat.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Courtney couldn’t waste this golden opportunity. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Overcome with emotions, she decided to go with what her heart had been trying to make her do all along. She decided to kiss him as she sat herself down comfortably on his lap. Shayne was unsure whether he was having another one of his lucid dreams though that didn’t stop him from responding to the kiss. It was basically everything he could dream of, after all. Shayne’s momentary distraction gave Courtney ample time to deepen the kiss on her own terms, freely exploring his mouth with her tongue. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It didn’t take long for Shayne to catch on that he wasn’t dreaming, that this was actually happening, that Courtney somehow shared and reciprocated his feelings. He couldn’t help but smile into the kiss, his eyes crinkling and a few tears of joy spilling from the corners of his eyes as his hands wound its way around her waist, settling comfortably on her hips, anchoring her to him, as if it was where his hands had been all along. Courtney was much the same, her smile wide and manic in the short instances when they separated to take some much-needed breath of air, her hands entwined around his neck, both of their foreheads pressed together, keeping each other close. Neither of them had expected their day to go this way, but they weren’t going to complain. They couldn’t help but continue making out with each other, their hearts feeling full and content. Their hands were kept much where they were, the pair not feeling the urge for some heavy petting. There would be time for that later.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I just want it on record that I had already caught feelings BEFORE my mind started betraying me with those dreams,” Shayne said abruptly a few minutes into their impromptu make-out session, eliciting a giggle from Courtney. He always did know how to make her laugh.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re so dumb.” Courtney managed to say after her fit of giggling, knowing full well that he was telling the truth while making sure that she knows he was serious about her, and that whatever it was between them was not purely out of physical attraction with one another. She could see the metaphorical gears turning in Shayne’s head, and she knew that he had decided on a course of action when the little smile he had on his face turned into a full-blown smirk. She </span>
  <span>knew whatever he had planned would be both hilarious and over-the-top, though she wasn’t actually prepared for what he did next.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>In on fluid motion, Shayne carefully stood up and carried her in his arms, bridal style, barely giving Courtney time to pick up his belongings, seeing as his limbs were otherwise occupied. He walked out of the conference room with her, and the both of them weren’t really surprised when the entire office broke up into scattered applause and friendly jeering. Shayne walked them over to her desk where she picked up her stuff. They could hear Ian doing an exaggerated gasp followed by some wolf-whistling, which Courtney responded to with and amiable middle finger in his general direction, too busy making sure that their stuff does not fall on the floor and trying to hide the blush that was creeping its way up from her neck. Ian merely responded by singing Sweet Home Alabama melodramatically, causing Courtney to flip him the bird, though it just made Ian sing louder.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The pair made their way to the parking lot with barely contained glee coursing through their veins, managing to keep their hands to themselves as they made their way to Courtney’s fiat. Shayne had taken an Uber to the office that day, so it was a non-issue of which</span>
  <span> car to take. Shayne finally put her down on her feet as Courtney started to rummage through her backpack to get her keys. She took a few seconds before she managed to find them, waving the key triumphantly around before throwing them to Shayne, which he snatched flawlessly out of the air. He unlocked her car and ushered her inside before getting in himself and starting it, wending his way through the car park and into the bustling LA traffic.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>------</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“So, how about you tell me about these fantasies you’ve been having, and I’ll tell you the feasibility of them occurring in real life?” Courtney asked him, mostly to distract herself from trying to jump the man with her and committing a felony. Shayne couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing from her. Sure, Courtney tended to make jokes about how horny she was, she had literally created Brianna Boho as a mix of Banana Mojo and her “own overactive sex drive”, so he shouldn’t really be surprised. He tried gauging how serious she was being, and the shit-eating grin she had on her face almost threw him off until he noticed how dilated her pupils were. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne gave her a similar smirk, half focused on the road. He chose to keep mum on the subject, concentrating on driving them over to his home, though Courtney didn’t really expect him to respond. She did, however, notice how his pants seemed to get a little bit tighter, the physical representation of his affection for her making an imprint on his jeans. Humming in recognition, she decided to tease him a little bit, slowly dragging her nails from his knees to his </span>
  <span>upper thigh. Shayne inhaled sharply, before slowly releasing a guttural groan. She continued impishly at this, palming him through his jeans.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Courtney, look, I love you, and I absolutely love what you’re doing right now, but I cannot focus if you keep doing that. And I’d rather not get into an accident.” Shayne managed to say just as they were approaching a stoplight, voice heavy with want and need. Courtney gave him a quick peck on the lips before giving him a little squeeze through his pants, before cackling as Shayne groaned again. Luckily, they were very near to his place then, so he didn’t have to suffer any longer. Parking the Fiat with practiced ease, Shayne managed to get them both out of the car, locked it, and straight to his apartment.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Once inside, Courtney was about to say something just right before Shayne pinned her to the back of his door, kissing her with such intensity that she couldn’t help but close her eyes and simply revel in the sensation, letting her arms wander, caressing his broad shoulders and well-defined muscles. Shayne on the other hand, kept one of his hands on her waist, steadying her, while his other hand was cradling her on the back of her head, fingers tangling in her now messy blonde mane. They stood there for a few minutes before she slowly moved them to the couch, where she pushed Shayne down, briefly breaking their lip lock. Courtney followed him shortly, crawling over him while gently tugging at his shirt, signaling to him to remove the offensive piece of clothing, to which he happily obliged. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Once his shirt was off, Courtney let herself get a good look at the body she could only discreetly admire before. She slowly eased herself on top of him before catching his lips in another kiss and letting her hands roam around his well-defined torso. Shayne on the other hand, had his hands around her waist, with the right one venturing further down her jeans to fondle her ass, to which Courtney gave a corresponding affirmative moan. They took their time exploring each other’s bodies, the new development exhilarating for both, stoking the flames of lust that was steadily growing inside both of them. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne finally was unable to hold back any longer, his unoccupied hand finally wandering upward to Courtney’s covered chest. He paused for a bit, his palms just millimeters away from the underside of her breast, obviously wanting to touch, but waiting for her go-ahead. Courtney sensed what he wanted to do, and took his hand and guided it to her globes, urging him to touch them and get his fill. Taking the hint, Shayne took both his hands and cupped her chest, feeling her nipples stiffen, feeling the hardened peaks straining against her shirt and bra. He teased the nubs through the fabrics, making Courtney mewl out in between kisses, arrows of arousal shooting straight to her already sopping core. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Courtney managed to stop herself from collapsing on top of him due to the pleasure he was causing her. She distracted herself from the growing conflagration in her loins by busying herself on getting Shayne’s jeans off, to which he happily obliged, helping her shimmy it off while his hands were meandering around inside her shirt, his touch drawing imperceptible patterns that served to stoke her desire further. Fruitful in her endeavor to rid Shayne of his pants and, inadvertently, his socks, she repositioned herself on top of </span>
  <span>Topp</span>
  <span>, her denim-clad bottom half grinding against his black Calvin's, a small spot of wetness apparent on the tip, invariable proof of his passion. The action caused her core to feel hotter, the friction between them exquisite, yet ultimately not enough to satiate her.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne, for his part, felt severely underdressed in his boxers. He decided that the playing field should be somewhat leveled, so he decided to get Courtney’s shirt off at least, tugging on the hem, to which Courtney enthusiastically responded by nearly tearing the black apparel off, and flinging it to lord knows where in his apartment. Courtney silently praised herself for wearing her favorite pair of matching lilac lingerie, the sheer material just a tiny bit shy of actually being transparent, just enough that the bits were not truly exposed, almost leaving nothing to the imagination. Shayne growled at this, fully convinced that the blonde goddess that was straddling him was on a mission to actually try to make his heart stop in her sheer beauty. He took a gulp of air before continuing his ministrations, her areolae straining against their lace confines, defining them further. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne looked hungrily for a second before going on the attack, biting softly on her nubs through the fabric, causing a moan to escape from Courtney’s pink lips, urging him on, while she was grinding down on him. Feeling that the friction she was experiencing was not enough, Courtney deftly removed her own jeans, leaving her in her underwear and socks, with Shayne none-the-wiser up until she ground down on him again, his focus suddenly removed from her globes, now laser-focused on both of their heated cores, feeling the heat that between her legs grow from merely burning to near smoldering. She dry-humped him again, causing Shayne to release a keening noise, forcing himself to breathe in slow practiced patterns, unwilling to bust before he had a chance to make her orgasm first. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne suddenly stood up and carried Courtney in his arms in one fluid motion, causing her to yelp before entwining her legs around his back, still grinding down on his length while placing open mouth kisses to Shayne’s exposed collar, leaving small bruises in her wake. Shayne steered the both of them single-mindedly to the bedroom, carefully stepping over the little bump that separated his bathroom from his bedroom. Once inside, he carefully laid her down on his bed, removing some of the blankets in the process. Courtney propped herself up on her elbows to gaze at her lover, taking in his physique and the smoldering intensity that was radiating off of him. The soft afternoon sun filtered through the partially closed blinds in his room, bathing them in a warm golden glow, accentuating the atmosphere and highlighting the need present in both of their gazes. She felt her throat parch at the realization that in a few moments, some of her wildest dreams may very well come true. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As if he was able to read her thoughts, Shayne then proceeded to place his body on top of hers, pressing bruising kisses from her chest to her collarbones, branding her as his for all the world to see. Well, their co-workers, but still. She reciprocated in turn, nipping and sucking from his chest to his jawline, uncaring that anyone might see them and suspect something. She could feel Shayne’s hands wandering down to her chest again, and she could feel herself strain through the flimsy public, her areolae standing at attention, begging for attention. </span>
  <span>He palmed her breasts in his hands, the friction causing her to buck up into him. </span>
  <span>He stopped kissing her for a moment to look into her eyes, asking her for permission to continue. In lieu of a verbal response, she chose to just unhook her bra, granting him access to what he craved. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The moment the garment was off, Shayne refocused his attention on her bosom, his lips gravitated to her right breast, nipping, biting, and teasing at the hardened nub on top while his other hand played with the other one, eliciting a moan out of the blonde woman. The repeated stimulation he was giving her served to further her arousal, her hands gripped his hair, egging him on to continue with his ministrations. Courtney unconsciously ground her core at him, her arousal dampening her underwear. Shayne could feel how wet she was for him even through the flimsy piece of clothing that separated them.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The hand that was paying attention to her breast slowly forged its way down to her nether, cupping her mound, toying with her slit through the delicate fabric. The friction was greatly welcomed yet still not enough for Courtney, leading her to let out a soft whine. Shayne continued to tease her, the moistness dampening the front of her panties growing wetter by the second. He groaned at the realization that he was the reason for her wetness, and his boxers got even tighter at the mere thought of it. Courtney continued grinding on him, her lace underwear gliding against his cotton ones, the trituration driving him near crazy. He managed to stop himself from getting too into it by sitting up on his knees, earning him a disappointed mewl from Courtney. He yearned to soothe her, but he had a plan.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Listen, I’ve literally been dreaming of this moment for months, at least. But, can I go down on you?” Shayne asked, feeling his mouth water and dry at the thought of pleasing Courtney in one of the most intimate ways possible. Not trusting her voice, Courtney merely nodded at him, emerald eyes shining in the soft light. Her breath hitched as Shayne started maneuvering her body so that her ass was on the edge of the bed, before kneeling down on the floor, hoisting her slender legs upon his shoulders, positioning himself in between her legs.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Once there, Shayne started by peppering kisses on her legs alternately, up until her inner thigh, where he started nipping on the flesh there, leaving small bruises in his wake. Courtney was initially floored by the sensations he was sending to her, her head thrashing about on his bed. She managed to prop herself up to give her undue attention to the man that was currently giving her intense pleasure, only to find that he had been expecting her to look, his sapphire eyes gazing intensely at her emeralds. With her eyes focused on him, Shayne slowly removed the final piece of garment separating him from Courtney’s heavenly gates. His nostrils flared as soon as he was able to fully take the lingerie off, her arousal wafting to his senses. His eyes widened at this, his normally vibrant blues turning into a deep midnight color.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne resumed peppering kisses down her inner thigh until he reached her core, letting out a moan when he sighted her glistening core. He used his hands to spread her vertical lips slightly, uncovering her clit to him. Shayne used his fingers to stimulate it as Courtney gave out a long moan, her body flushing further in arousal at the attention to her bud. He then slowly inserted his middle finger inside her, exploring her core gently in a come-hither motion as he continued to concentrate on her bud, her pleasure skyrocketing at this. He eventually replaced his fingers on her clit with his mouth, giving gentle nips and suction to it, causing Courtney to buck her hips into his face, her desire for more trituration apparent. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Courtney bit down on her hand to suppress a loud moan as Shayne’s tongue replaced his fingers inside her, the exquisite heat she was experiencing steadily turning into a seething bonfire. Still, he continued lavishly paying attention to her core. Courtney could feel her peak coming soon, wasting no time in informing Shayne of this fact. Her hands which she was previously biting down on and clutching onto the sheets were suddenly on his head, physically demanding him to continue his ministrations whilst she was busy vocalizing the pleasure he was giving her. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It didn’t take long for her to reach the apex, and a long moan erupted from her throat. Shayne continued focusing his attention on her single-mindedly, despite knowing full well that she already came, setting off a chain of mini-orgasms that rocked her core, her eyes-rolling to the back of her head at the indulgence he was providing for her. Courtney wasn’t sure how long she blacked out from the pleasure, but it must’ve been at least a few minutes, as her rapid breathing has calmed down, and Shayne was already eye level with her, though she could still feel his fingers toying with her sex in a slow, languorous motion as his other hands were gently cupping her face.  He smiled at her fondly before leaning in for a kiss which she reciprocated wholeheartedly.  </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Courtney’s hands slowly ventured downwards to Shayne’s rigid pole, still amazed at the length and girth of it, subconsciously comparing him to her previous male significant others and finding him a tad more well-endowed than her previous conquests. The thought made her blush, and she was thankful that Shayne was a little more pre-occupied with where his hands were to notice the redness on her cheeks. Choosing to dispel her thoughts, Courtney concentrated on his manhood, her soft hands stroking the pole slowly, getting the thing harder and harder. Shayne groaned softly at this, his eyes fluttering close as his breathing started to get deeper again. Courtney started to maneuver around the bed so that she would be level to his groin, however, Shayne stopped her before she could complete her journey. This earned him a small whine from her and a small pout, to which he responded with a quick kiss.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Courtney looked at him quizzically after that, quite unsure why he stopped her from repaying him. He merely smiled furtively at her, as if indicating that there would be time after to do that, and there were more pressing matters at the current time. His Sapphire eyes shone brilliantly, the waning sunlight accentuating the adoration that was spilling forth from them, as well as the slight disbelief that what was happening right now was reality, and not some waking dream he had been having. She wanted to voice these thoughts out to him, to assure him that this was something she had always craved as well, but Shayne managed to beat her to the punch.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, I never even dared imagine that this was even possible in reality.” He mused as he slowly eased himself onto the bed, positioning himself over her. Courtney fully understood what he meant, choosing to convey her understanding by </span>
  <span>laving</span>
  <span> kisses from his collar bone up until their lips met in a soft yet passionate kiss. His hands found hers, instinctually interweaving their fingers together in a dance so familiar despite it only being a few actual times they have done it. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, neither did I. I always thought whatever I felt was one-sided.”  She squeezed his hands at this. Shayne took their joined hands closer to him as he gave her hand a little kiss, causing Courtney’s heart to flutter in affection. “I thought my feelings would have had to be relegated to make-believe and forced situations in skits and videos.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“This is real, Court. And if it takes me a whole lifetime to prove it, well, that would be a life well spent.” Shayne managed to say unblinkingly, the words serious though a little clichéd. Courtney reddened at this, electing to just give him a peck on the lips in lieu of an answer. Shayne didn’t need an answer from her anyway, knowing full well that whatever he felt for her was mirrored, if not more. The sudden movement of her legs brought his attention back to his lower regions, his manhood still standing in attention.  </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne groaned softly as he repositioned himself so that he was in the middle of her legs, his cock near enough to her core to feel the heat radiating from it. He rummaged through his bedside drawer to find a condom but drew a blank. Courtney saw the conflict forming on his brow, which she smoothed with her fingers before placing a kiss on his forehead. Shayne looked at her in slight embarrassment, to which she giggled slightly, aware of what was causing him turmoil.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m on the pill, Shayne. I haven’t been slanging dong with anyone for a year at least.” Courtney said to him with a shit-eating grin, unable to resist slipping in an inside joke as well. He let out a short bark of laughter at this, the slight incredulity of the situation not lost on him.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Likewise. Not the pill part, of course. I kind of gave up on trying to slang dong when you were the only person that I wanted to slang dong with.” Shayne blushed a little as he admitted this with all seriousness, hiding his head in the crook of her neck as well as placing small kisses on her collar. The corresponding blush on Courtney’s cheeks was more than enough confirmation to Shayne that she understood what he meant. She initiated another kiss as Shayne positioned himself closer to her, his hard member sliding along her slit, their shared arousal mixing and covering each other with a combined slickness as he rubbed himself on her heat. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Courtney broke the kiss to let out a whine, the friction exquisite yet not quite enough and not exactly what she wanted. She nipped his lips in frustration, feeling the chuckle coming from him as she did this. He kept on rubbing himself on her, his pole grazing her clit just sufficient enough to stoke the fire, earning him another frustrated groan and a soft bite on his collar. He continued torturing her for a few more moments before taking her lips again and positioning himself at her entrance. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Courtney, are you sure you’re alright with this?” Shayne’s sapphires stared at her emeralds, waiting for her consent. Courtney smiled warmly at him at her wonderful boy, always ready to put her needs and wants before his own. She hummed at him positively and nodded as they locked eyes, the slight motion all that he needed before he continued on. Courtney was about to make a joke about him, but that died as soon as she felt his turgid rod entered her smoldering cavern. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She felt him enter her, her folds slowly accustoming to his girth, stretching her exquisitely. Shayne managed to stop himself from acting upon his urge to hammer her fast and hard, knowing that it had been quite a stretch of time since the both of them separately had any sexual contact with anyone else. Shayne elected instead to pepper Courtney with kisses, his hands preoccupied with playing with her nipples and clit, helping her in accommodating his invading girth. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Once Courtney felt that she had adjusted enough, she urged Shayne to continue, giving his ass a little squeeze and clenching on his member through her folds, which earned her a stifled groan from him, right before he slowly withdrew his penis from inside her, leaving just the tip inside, before slamming into her with some force. She almost screamed the house down at that, but Shayne had predicted her reaction and had already claimed her lips then, leaving her to let out a soft whine. Shayne continued on this punishing pace as he took one of her legs and hitched it on his arm, allowing him to delve in deeper with every thrust, every stroke hitting Courtney’s g-spot, causing her to see stars, her folds hugging his throbbing pole for each movement. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Courtney lost count of how many climaxes she had already had, her entire being fixated solely on the sweet heat that Shayne was piling on her as he steadily sawed in and out of her smoldering center. She could feel his momentum start to falter, his thrust coming in shorter, more sporadic bursts, a clear signal that he was nearing the time to erupt. Courtney endeavored to repay him for the gratification he was providing her, her legs crossing around his back, pulling him in closer as she rolled her hips against his, before making out with him again.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Fucckkkk</span>
  <span>, that’s </span>
  <span>it,</span>
  <span> baby, right there... You’re making me cum... </span>
  <span>fuckkkk</span>
  <span>... Shayneeeee! Inside! Cum inside me baby... </span>
  <span>nghhhh</span>
  <span>...” She said in a breathy voice, whispering sweet nothings and dirty promises in his ears.  This pushed Shayne off the proverbial edge, his frenzied pace suddenly coming to a halt as he emptied himself inside her womb. The scorching fluid that was unloaded in her caused Courtney to go into climax again, their names the only thing they could think of and say at the moment of culmination, their eyes locked on each other in a loving gaze. They stay entwined for what felt like ages, completely content with each other. They fell asleep in each other's arms, satisfied with the knowledge that they would be there when they woke up.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>======</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They holed up in Shayne’s apartment for the entirety of the weekend, mostly just enjoying each other’s company, but with some heated encounters interspersed in between. It didn’t matter to them what they did, they felt elated just being near each other.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne drove them to work come Monday, and he didn’t hesitate to take her hands in his, leaving no question as to what their current relationship statuses were. Courtney was a bit taken aback by this not used to Shayne being this forward, but the euphoria that burst forth from the simple action overtook her initial apprehension. She could feel the eyes of their coworkers gravitate to their conjoined hands as they entered the shared workspace, and it didn’t take long until their friends commented about it. Olivia, Tommy, Kimmy, and Jackie, in particular, wanted details, while Damien, Ian, Keith, and Noah went into an over-the-top rendition of Sweet Home Alabama, complete with choreographed danced moves, much to the chagrin of Shayne. The couple managed to shift the attention from their relationship, promising to </span>
  <span>answer</span>
  <span> questions later during lunch break.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Why do Ian and Damien keep singing Sweet Home Alabama on repeat?” Courtney asked him as they both settled into their desks. Ian and Damien were still going on in their renditions of the song, only getting louder and more boisterous with every withering glare Shayne threw their way.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“They just really like rubbing my face on all the times I told them that you were like a sister to me and nothing else.” Shayne gave a huff, giving the middle finger to his friends, who just sniggered more intensely and made kissy noises in their direction.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh. Why didn’t I pick up on that?” She wondered aloud, despite knowing that she was otherwise preoccupied with lewd thoughts about the blonde man the past few weeks. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe because you were too busy ogling my body and fantasizing about me,” Shayne answered cheekily, a smug smile plastered on his face.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey!... well, alright. That is true. Can you blame me?” Courtney said in mock offense, trying to hold a hurt look on her face which ultimately dissolved into laughter. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They both knew that there would be hell to pay come lunchtime. Their friends and co-workers will be clamoring for their attention and for all the information they would be willing to divulge to them about their relationship. But that didn’t matter to them. As long as they have each other.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As long as they’re together.</span>
  
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p> </p><p>A/N: I definitely went overboard again, and the ending is a little weak. Also, I only played it up in this fic, but always use protection. I don’t have to explain the Alabama joke, do I? </p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>OR: Shayne Vs. The Thirst Trap. </p><p>A/N: Will I ever write anything that isn’t more or less perverted? Maybe someday. Every picture I have added here were readily available online, I do not own them. Please respect the privacy of the people who I based this story off of. Nothing I write is (probably) true, they’re just my slightly insane ramblings. I also do not condone objectifying women. I only do this to tell a (bad) story. </p><p> </p><p>The ending’s weird. </p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <span>-----</span>
  </b>
  
</p><p>
  <span>No Nut November or NNN was just a fun </span>
  <span>little tradition </span>
  <span>that the boys in </span>
  <span>Smosh</span>
  <span> partook in every November. There </span>
  <span>usually </span>
  <span>weren’t really any </span>
  <span>serious </span>
  <span>stakes attached to it, aside from the </span>
  <span>(often)</span>
  <span> questionable bragging rights that the winners gain whenever they </span>
  <span>make</span>
  <span> it through the </span>
  <span>entire</span>
  <span> month of the challenge. It had been a weird tradition </span>
  <span>that </span>
  <span>the crew had </span>
  <span>had </span>
  <span>ever since they were under Defy, and it has made its way to Mythical; it was all </span>
  <span>in all </span>
  <span>a jolly fun time for everyone involved. Not a lot of them made it through, really, aside from maybe Shayne and Damien</span>
  <span>;</span>
  <span> Shayne claimed the slight frustration fueled his workouts and helped him stay extra swole during the month, while Damien was just too busy being a </span>
  <span>pro-jamer</span>
  <span> and growing his fanbase. Ian usually can’t be bothered to really stick to it, but that was just his chaotic evil alignment working. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Really, it </span>
  <span>wasn’t anything new</span>
  <span> to the company.</span>
  <span> So, when </span>
  <span>Ian</span>
  <span> mentioned it in passing during their last meeting at the end of October, Shayne </span>
  <span>had </span>
  <span>expected it to be just a simple month of abstaining</span>
  <span> from pleasures of the flesh, as it usually has been.</span>
  <span> At least, it shouldn’t have been just that. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>But fate decided to throw a wrench in Shayne’s plans. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Well, it was a certain blonde who decided to throw said proverbial wrench</span>
  <span>, but semantics</span>
  <span>.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>-----</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, before we adjourn this meeting, I would just like to remind </span>
  <span>those who will be participating</span>
  <span>, the NNN challenge is coming up. Everyone is free to take it on, but let’s make it </span>
  <span>a </span>
  <span>little bit </span>
  <span>spicy this year, eh? Why don’t all </span>
  <span>participants </span>
  <span>chip in 10 </span>
  <span>bucks</span>
  <span>, and the winner takes the pot</span>
  <span>? Look, I’ll even put in 20 for the heck of it”</span>
  <span> Ian said conspiratorially, rubbing his hands together like an old school villain would. Everyone in the Mythical Conference Room gave a small huff of laughter at Ian’s antics, but most of them</span>
  <span>,</span>
  <span> (the boys) were all down to participate. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne and Damien looked at each other from across the </span>
  <span>conference</span>
  <span> table, as they were wont to do during these moments, the sort of understanding that only years of friendship can foster. This usually led to the </span>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Damien is </span>
  <span>Psychic” supercut videos</span>
  <span> on YouTube whenever it happens during a </span>
  <span>Smosh</span>
  <span> shoot, much to the chagrin of the brown-haired man, and the endless amusement of Shayne and the rest of the crew. </span>
  <span>This time, however, the</span>
  <span> brunette gave Shayne a little shake of his head</span>
  <span>, </span>
  <span>indicating to the </span>
  <span>muscular </span>
  <span>blonde that his best friend would not be joining him in the competition this year. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The blonde man gave </span>
  <span>his best friend </span>
  <span>an over-the-top pout but was unable to hold </span>
  <span>on to </span>
  <span>it. He gave his best friend a thumbs up, knowing </span>
  <span>that</span>
  <span> the reason Damien was opting out on the challenge this year. What with Damien’s recent relationship with </span>
  <span>Kimmy</span>
  <span>, their honeymoon stage was well and truly still ongoing. Shayne shot Damien a smirk before wagging his eyebrows and making suggestive hand gestures, earning him a huff</span>
  <span>, a roll of the eyes,</span>
  <span> and two middle fingers thrown his way from his friend. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Choosing to refocus on Ian, he noticed that their boss-friend </span>
  <span>has</span>
  <span> decided to do </span>
  <span>things</span>
  <span> meticulously, and they were passing around a sign-up sheet for people who were going to be doing the challenge. He noticed </span>
  <span>that </span>
  <span>quite a few people have </span>
  <span>already </span>
  <span>signed on, </span>
  <span>among them was</span>
  <span> Tim, Kevin, Keith, Ian, Noah, Greg, Spencer, and Brennan. Shayne was </span>
  <span>already </span>
  <span>reaching for the piece of paper to scribble his name </span>
  <span>on it</span>
  <span> when he heard a weird</span>
  <span>,</span>
  <span> almost choking</span>
  <span>,</span>
  <span> sound</span>
  <span> suddenly</span>
  <span> emanate from Courtney who had been, incidentally, sitting beside him. He turned to face her just as he was finishing writing his name </span>
  <span>and shot her a questioning look.</span>
  <span> She had an unreadable expression on her face, which was a little unusual for Shayne because he was usually quite good at reading people’s moods, Courtney’s in particular.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re doing the challenge</span>
  <span> again</span>
  <span>, huh?” She asked him nonchalantly while she was putting away her stack of scripts</span>
  <span> and other paperwork.</span>
  <span> Shayne had thought nothing of this</span>
  <span> particular query</span>
  <span>; Courtney was one of his best friends, and she had always been aware when the crew started doing NNN.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, might as well. I’m not doing anything </span>
  <span>too </span>
  <span>important </span>
  <span>this month </span>
  <span>anyway. Not like I’m in a relationship</span>
  <span> or anything.</span>
  <span> Might as well get paid to be celibate,” Shayne shrugged. Courtney </span>
  <span>replied with</span>
  <span> a non-committal hmm, and he took it as her dropping the current subject</span>
  <span>. He</span>
  <span> paid her no mind as she suddenly focused on writing something down in her journal. The meeting finished then, and he handed Ian his entry fee as he was exiting the room. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Work got hectic after that</span>
  
  <span>(</span>
  <span>fateful</span>
  <span>)</span>
  <span> meeting</span>
  <span>, what with </span>
  <span>the entire crew</span>
  
  <span>finishing shoots</span>
  
  <span>at a blistering pace so that they could </span>
  <span>get enough footage and videos </span>
  <span>in between the twitch streams </span>
  <span>so that they could get a well-deserved break come thanksgiving and then the holidays</span>
  <span>.</span>
  <span> Shayne had </span>
  <span>almost </span>
  <span>all but forgotten the slight weirdness that Courtney had </span>
  <span>had since</span>
  <span> that particular meeting.</span>
  
  <span>Except for the occasional </span>
  <span>weird, calculating looks that</span>
  
  <span>Courtney had been throwing his way ever since then. Shayne idly wondered whether that was meant to mean something, or if she had finally found out his well (not really) hidden affections for her. He readily dismissed the latter, chalking it up to his wishful thinking and endless pining for the gorgeous blonde.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>-----</span>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>DAY 1 of 30</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne woke up with a start on the morning of November 1 as his phone suddenly pinged to tell him he had a new message. He could have sworn he had it on do-not-disturb, so whoever messaged him must have been on his favorites list, meaning that it was not a mere nuisance call or anything like that. He blindly felt around his nightstand to locate his phone before unlocking it with half-lidded eyes. As he had deduced earlier, it was a message from his favorites list. Specifically, it was a message from Courtney. Whatever notions he had of going back to sleep was blasted away when he took proper notice of the contents of the message. Because it wasn’t so much of a message as a suggestion.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>
    
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was just a photo of Courtney in her bathroom appearing to be wearing nothing but a burgundy towel, marked only with a sticker that simply said 1 month. </span>
  <span>Shayne felt his mouth become simultaneously as wet as the ocean and as dry as the desert. He let out a loud groan, thankful that he had lived alone, and no one can see how ridiculous he must have looked then.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>If there were any doubts that Courtney had decided to make his life a living hell during this godforsaken month, this </span>
  <span>very </span>
  <span>picture dispelled all of that.</span>
  <span> He tried to rationalize what else the image she sent could have meant. But whatever he tried to come up with just fell flat. Even the “wrongly sent to him” narrative was unlikely, as Shayne knew for a fact that Courtney had him under “Frog Legs” on her contact list. But he decided to go with that anyway, deciding to just try to put it out of his mind and pretend that it didn’t happen.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>(That was a mistake, in retrospect.)</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>----- </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>DAY 3 of 30</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It steadily got worse over the course of the first week. Shayne was usually more or less used to the antics of the entire </span>
  <span>Smosh</span>
  <span> fam; weird selfies were just par for the course for them. So, Courtney sending bizarre selfies were the norm, even with some of the thirst </span>
  <span>trappy</span>
  <span> pics that were interspersed with them. But this, he decided, was on a different level altogether. Because it seemed to be only </span>
  <span>directed at him and only at him. He made the blunder of asking Olivia if she was receiving the same pictures as he was, banking on the usual wackiness that ensued between the two, but the petite woman merely said no and gave him a knowing look while waggling her eyebrows.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne tried to deflect this, looking around for Damien to help. Instead of helping him in his plight, Damien opted instead to double down on Olivia’s insinuation, dropping a few off-handed quips about Shayne’s purported “friends only” relationship with Courtney. Olivia wondered aloud how she never sent anyone she wasn’t interested in near-naked selfies. Shayne flipped them off for their trouble, muttering about how unhelpful they were, and was met with sniggers from his friends.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>DAY 9 of 30</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shayne noticed that Courtney had also started snacking on weirdly phallic food ever since the month started. It started with her eating more bananas, and he initially thought she just wanted to increase her intake of fruits and vegetables, but the direct staring she would give him while she ate it said otherwise. Shayne wanted to just dismiss it at first, chalking it up to being pent </span>
  <span>up, and not wanting to be that creepy, </span>
  <span>pervy</span>
  <span> friend, but the direct eye to eye staring contests she would give him, coupled with the almost inaudible moans seemed to be a direct attack on his self-control. And if anyone asked Shayne what he knew he prided himself on, it would be his self-control and discipline. It was always a struggle to try to stop himself from just gawking and ogling at Courtney on a normal day, but this felt a lot worse.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She followed it up with popsicles, corndogs, lollipops, etc., all with barely suppressed breathy whisperings of “oh God that’s good,” and “yes, yes, yes!” among other things. Shayne could have disregarded her behavior, really, had Courtney not made it a point to only do these things while she was in close proximity to Shayne, especially ramping it up whenever it was just the two of them. Shayne in response, had taken to taking longer, colder, showers, even going so far as to utilize the in-office shower facilities that he had usually did not spare a second glass, save for a few moments where they truly did get dirty during a shoot. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He briefly thought about just simply walking out whenever Courtney did this, but the shit-eating grin she shot his way the first few times that he did just that indicated that the blonde she-devil knew what she was doing to him. She was challenging him, and Shayne just randomly decided to play along with her. If Courtney wanted to play with fire, well, Shayne will most definitely be bringing the heat.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Day 10 of 30</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He has made a terrible mistake. It was a bad enough idea to initially just not acknowledge what he knew Courtney was doing when NNN started. But now that he has actively tried to play along with her, Courtney’s teasing has gotten worse. Any pretext of not knowing what she was doing was thrown out the window, and any vagueness that Courtney had previously alluded to in the pictures she sent were dropped completely. Courtney had also taken to draping herself all over him. Once she caught on to the fact that Shayne was aware of what she was trying to accomplish, she had merely smirked at him, before increasing physical contact between them. Nothing too racy or not safe for work, mind you, but if there were any questions as to what she was doing, her actions answered them clearly. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne had expected some push back from their other friends the first time it happened during lunch break, but the girls and Tommy merely raised their eyebrows before smirking conspiratorially at each other. Damien was no help at all, merely going into a dark Damien smirk, but Shayne had expected that from his other best friend, as the brunette was a massive </span>
  <span>Shartney</span>
  <span> shipper, and had been trying to get the two blondes together for so long. Ian took a comical double-take when he saw what Courtney had been doing, and he winked at Shayne before giving him a pat on the shoulder as if to say “good game, well played.” </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne glared at him then, feeling indignant that they have written him off already. He was about to give Ian a piece of his mind when he caught sight of the barely suppressed manic grin that was gracing Courtney’s face. He managed to school his face then, before deciding on a course of action.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He was going to see this thing through, come hell or high water. Or Courtney’s long legs. Or her seductive lips. Or her vibrant personality.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Fuck. This might be the hardest thing he will ever have to accomplish. Fuck. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Day 20 of 30</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>fuck.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Day 25 of 30</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Fuck.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Day 30 of 30</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>FUCK.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Day 1 of ??? </span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne was full of mixed feelings on the first day of that December as he walked into their offices. He was, undoubtedly, happy that he was a few bucks richer because of the challenge. He seemed to be the only one to have shouldered on with it, and what a contest it had been. It certainly did not help that Courtney had seemed to be hell-bent on getting him to lose control. However, Shayne was a bit sad as well now that he had finished the month. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Whatever it was that he had with Courtney had always been a weirdly gray area of the will-they-wont-they variety, and the recent development had effectively thrown a spanner in the works, so to speak. Shayne wasn’t sure where they stood now. He was sure that whatever they have been doing this past month was not something they could easily wave away with the excuse of their close friendship. Shayne personally lost a lot of sleep trying to justify that to himself, never mind trying to defend it to their other friends and co-workers. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne sighed heavily as he wandered around the office. Speaking of the blonde, he had hardly seen her all day. The last time he could recall seeing her properly was when they had that meeting at the start of the day, and it had seemed like he was always one step behind her. Shayne was getting a little fed up with all the “you just missed her” and “she literally just left” he had been receiving. If he didn’t know any better, he would say that Courtney had been avoiding him.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>This gave Shayne some pause.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Why did she actually feel the need to avoid him? Courtney was the one who started teasing him. It should be him that was doing the avoiding, if anyone. He was a victim here. A very willing, very reciprocating, victim. The gears in Shayne’s head started turning, his mind unable to settle on the reason why the other blonde had been sidestepping him all day. He was unaware of the knowing smiles that the </span>
  <span>Smosh</span>
  <span> squad had been throwing his way all day. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He made his way towards the outdoor seating area in their lot with a preoccupied mind, his thoughts plagued by the buxom blonde that had been plaguing his thoughts. Shayne was suddenly brought out of his musings by a sudden choking noise, his head turning to face the source of the commotion. There on one of the tables sat Courtney, and she looked like she had decided to make her new office there. Her laptop and other gear were all spread out on one of the chairs and tables. Shayne seemed to have caught her unaware if the deer-in-headlights expression she had on her face was anything to go by. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne was grateful to the powers that be that decided to place only one entrance/exit in the patio, as he could see that Courtney’s fight or flight has been triggered. The blonde attempted to make a quick escape from the area, to which Shayne had made short work of disrupting. He quickly trapped Courtney in between him and the wall, his hand slamming down on the wall beside her head, effectively stunning Courtney and barring her way out. He crowded her into the wall, his other hand gently guiding her chin so that she would face him.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Why have you been avoiding me?” He asked without much preamble, quickly deciding that direct questions would be the best bet here in this situation. Courtney tried to avoid his gaze, but his firm hand on her cheek gave her no choice but to stare back at him. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What? Avoiding you? What do you mean avoiding you? I have done nothing of the sort, sir. I am offended.” Courtney replied unconvincingly, her voice going an entire octave higher, and going into an awful English accent. Shayne couldn’t help but smile at her antics, though he quickly schooled his face into a somewhat indifferent expression. He had some questions that needed answering, after all.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“And I am a monkey’s uncle. No, for real though. Why?” Shayne managed to keep his voice level, the sudden realization that he was a little too close to Courtney dawning on him and his little, uhh, friend.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>iwasalittleembarassedokay</span>
  <span>” She managed to say in a voice that was too small and too quick. Luckily, Shayne had been nothing but observant, managing to catch what she was trying to utter.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Why? You’re the one who started it.” His nostrils flared a little, getting a tiny bit frustrated with the woman in front of him. Shayne just wanted to know if it meant something more than what he thought. Well, he hoped it did.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Exactly, Shayne! And you had to just go and go along with it! I thought you were going to just tell me to stop it, but </span>
  <span>nO</span>
  <span>! You just had to double down!” Courtney put her palms on his chest, trying futilely to push against him, only succeeding in bringing her face closer to his, the fire and fury in her eyes mingling with what looked like longing.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, can you blame me!? I mean, what would you do when the girl of your dreams just suddenly up and decides to basically drape herself on you and act like she wanted no one else but you!? Like she liked you as much as you like her?” Shayne said abruptly, unable to remove some of the dejection and anger that was tinting his words. He realized with a jolt what he had thoughtlessly confessed to her. Shayne tried to save face by abruptly turning around so that Courtney couldn’t see his face, but a pair of arms stopped him mid-turn, engulfing his beefy frame in a hug. His arms slowly snaked their way around Courtney’s lithe frame, hugging her back with intensity. He heard a sniffle come from the blonde in his arms, which caused him some alarm. He tried looking at her face to see what was happening and he was met with a teary Courtney. She was smiling a million-watt smile, though her eyes were still pouring with tears.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m the girl of your dreams?” Courtney managed to say after she had managed to calm herself down. Shayne chuckled in amusement.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that really all you took away from that sudden outburst?” He asked wryly, earning him a hard smack on his arm for it before Courtney resumed on just enjoying the feeling of being in his arms. They danced around the patio in a pattern known only to them, swaying back and forth with no discernible path.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, there was also the part where you basically said you liked me back, but semantics,” Courtney answered smugly, earning her another amused chuckle from Shayne. She turned her head to the side as they swayed, her ear on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. Courtney felt like she could stay in this position forever, just Shayne and her, in this dance that they appeared to have danced in many lifetimes before. But Shayne decided to cut it short for now, earning a sound of indignation and malcontent from his partner. He powered through the sudden urge to just soothe Courtney and give her what she wanted. He had a plan, after all, and some money to burn.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t you and I go and spend my winnings, and then maybe we can discuss what we should do about all those things that you’ve been threatening to do this past month?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Losing The Battle, Winning The War</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A/N: I wanted to get something out after the infamous Friday stream. For context and because I didn’t want to write a convoluted backstory, S+C have been dating for a while in this fic. As always, don’t be dickheads. This is just for silly fun; don’t bother the people involved in these stories. </p><p> </p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Shayne sighed dejectedly as he turned off the computer and hanged his headphones on the hook on the desktop. He groaned as he rubbed his temples, the tension there signaling a headache that was sure to come later on. He leaned back in his chair; his eyes firmly closed while taking deep calming breaths. It was then that he heard the barely suppressed sniggering coming from the entrance to his bedroom, which was interspersed with some occasional chewing noises. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He stood up from his chair and slowly meandered his way towards his bedroom, the sniggering slowly turning into short fits of giggling. He was unsurprised to see Courtney spread out on his bed with a plate of Avocado Toast remains and a bag of Sun Chips precariously placed on top of one of his bedside drawers, along with her pink water bottle. He could faintly remember her making the toast a few minutes before he started the Twitch stream with Damien. He was very proud of the fact that she had made the toast with the sourdough bread he baked earlier that week, and that she seemed to have given approval to the taste.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne leaned against the door frame, enjoying the sight of Courtney just having a giggling fit. It didn’t take long before she noticed that he was watching her from the entrance of his room. Courtney got her composure back before she waved her hand and invited Shayne to lie down beside her, which Shayne happily accepted. He kicked his slippers off before snuggling close to her, nestling his head on her shoulder and letting out a heavy sigh. Courtney had anticipated that Shayne would be extra cuddly following the stream, as he sometimes does this, especially when he felt exceptionally disheartened. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p><span>She didn’t push Shayne to talk about what had him feeling despondent, one, because she had witnessed it on stream, and two, because the best course of action when Shayne got like this was to just let him stew and get his mind in order, as he’ll tell her what it is that was bothering him once he was good and ready. Courtney repositioned herself so that Shayne was lying half on top of her, his head still buried in the crook of her shoulder and neck. She gently massaged circles into the back of his neck, earning her a groan of satisfaction from Shayne. </span> </p><p>
  <span>They stayed in this position for a few minutes before she felt Shayne start to move from his position. He then proceeded to lift his head up to look Courtney in the eyes. She gave him a questioning look, giving him an opportunity to voice out how he was feeling. He gave her a pout, supporting his head on his hand, and she couldn’t help but tease him, sticking her tongue out at him in return. This quick exchange made Shayne smile, momentarily lifting his spirits before he promptly recalled why he was “acting like a big baby”. (Those were the choice words of the Twitch chat, not his.)</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I did really bad today, didn’t I?” He asked, his tone self-deprecating and with just a little touch of self-loathing. He had a sardonic grin on his face, quite unlike the boyish smile he usually had on. This raised alarm bells in Courtney’s mind, as Shayne had some times where he would just become a total defeatist and pessimist.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, </span>
  <span>hey, you</span>
  <span> did fine today! I mean, we all knew it was going to be a bit of a </span>
  <span>fucky-wucky</span>
  <span> today anyway,” She tried to alleviate his woes with a bit of stupid humor, just like she knew he liked. This seemed to work, as it earned a chuckle out of Shayne. “And you said so yourself earlier today! No one was expecting you to beat Damien at all in gaming. It’s kind of his forte.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I know. But I thought that I at least would have put up a better fight during </span>
  <span>Nidhogg</span>
  <span>. Yeah, I won the last round, but we all know that was a pity win anyway.” Shayne said dejectedly, returning to his previous position of burying his head on Courtney’s neck, the tail end of his statement being muffled by her hair.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oof. That’s rough, buddy.” Courtney jokingly told him as she stroked the back of his head. She felt Shayne’s snort of laughter, assuring her that he got the reference. “But hey, no one’s going to hold this against you. All that matter was that it was entertaining to the viewers, yeah? And that was a job well done.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne lifted his head again, his eyes searching hers for any falseness in her statement and only finding complete confidence in him. Not that he expected anything else from her really, but he was an overthinker through and through. She could feel him gearing up again to start a new round of self-deprecating comments, so she did the one thing she knew would shut him up and keep him preoccupied at the same time. She gently took his face in her hands before pressing her lips against his, effectively robbing him of his thought processes. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne, on his part, wasn’t really expecting things to turn this way. That wasn’t to say he was averse to making out with his girlfriend, far from it. It was one of the things he looked forward to, sure, but he went in his room really just expecting Courtney to commiserate with him, maybe lighten his mood a little. He relaxed under her touch, taking the opportunity to flip them over so that she was on top of him and completely in control of their make-out session. She gave him a groan of approval before she decided to deepen their kiss, her tongue swiping gently at his lips, asking for entrance, to which Shayne happily gave her permission. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They stayed connected for a while, their lips lazily making contact every now and again, content in basking in each other’s presence. Courtney laid her head on Shayne’s chest, her fingers lazily tracing his name on his arm, as Shayne had his other arm wrapped around her, his hand holding securely onto her hip. They would have happily stayed there in Shayne’s bed, just surrounded by each other, had it not been for the duet of their growling stomachs. The pair burst into laughter at the ridiculousness of it before they decided to get up from the bed and do something about their sudden hunger. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Courtney was the one who stood up first, pulling Shayne towards her as she made her exit from the bedroom and on towards his modest kitchen. Shayne, smitten as he was, let her drag him in the direction of her choosing. Courtney dropped his hand as they approached the kitchen, quickly busying herself with arranging something for them to snack on. He took this moment to lean back on one of the counters, simply taking in the sight of Courtney in his home, and how well she fit there already, despite him having just finished moving house.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne yearned to ask her to move in with him already, but he knew they had to keep up with the charade of them being single. He so desperately wanted to proclaim to the world that yes, he was together with Courtney, but he knew that she valued their privacy highly; she was scared deep down that their feelings will change once it was out in the open that they were in a relationship. Shayne wouldn’t jeopardize what they had just with a silly desire to out themselves to the public. They’ll get there eventually anyway. For now, he’ll satisfy himself with these small moments of domestic intimacy they have in the secrecy of their sanctuaries. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He wasn’t able to brood for any longer though, as Courtney had apparently finished preparing the food that she was making for them. She proudly presented to him a steaming bowl of Shakshuka she had prepared earlier when she arrived in his new home, with a side of toasted bread. She beamed at him, and Shayne couldn’t help but return the grin right back, his heart full of love and pride for the woman in front of him. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They shared the meal in the kitchen, quite satisfied with their current position, not even bothering to set a table or anything. They finished soon enough, and Shayne volunteered to wash the dishes so Courtney can get a head start on her evening routine. She agreed easily enough and Shayne took his time cleaning up before following her into the bathroom where he could hear her singing along to the songs she had queued up on her iPhone. She gave him a playful wink when she saw him enter, dancing along to the current song. They didn’t spend too much time there, as Courtney was already at the tail end of her routine, while Shayne didn’t really have that long of a night routine anyway, just brushing his teeth, washing his face, and applying some moisturizer to his face. </span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They made their way back to his bedroom and got dressed in their sleep clothes. Shayne changed into a tank top and an old gym short, while Courtney changed into her sleep shorts and what looked suspiciously like the Sublime shirt that he thought he had lost while he was moving. He raised his eyebrow at her while she merely answered him with a look, daring him to say something about her choice of sleepwear. He shook his head with a smile, knowing full well that the chances of him getting recovering that shirt were slim to none. (</span>
  <em>
    <span>Well, unless she moves in with you </span>
  </em>
  <span>his mind screams at him.)</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shayne shuffles around towards his designated side of the bed and Courtney did the same towards the side she claimed as hers. He quickly checked his phone for any important messages or emails, unsurprised to find a couple of apologetic ones from Damien with promises of catching up soon, and just some reminders of the long weekend they would be having. He sent a short message to Damien telling him not to worry about it before turning his phone to silent mode and putting his phone down on his bedside table and switching the bedside lamp off. Courtney was doing basically the same thing, just sending off a few tweets before putting her phone down and turning her bedside lamp off as well.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Courtney snuggled closer to Shayne, turning half her body towards him and resting her head on his chest. Shayne took this time to plant a kiss on the top of her head, inhaling her scent on the way. She giggled out and told him to stop when she noted what he was doing, hitting his chest lightly. She felt the rumble in his chest as he tried and failed to suppress his laughter. They recomposed themselves soon after that, and Shayne snaked his left arm underneath Courtney to pull her closer to him, to which the blonde happily acquiesced. They laid there in silence, the familiar noise of Los Angeles lulling them to sleep.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Courtney? Thanks for today. I love you.” Shayne muttered softly, knowing that sleep was imminent for him. He turned towards her, looking her in her emerald eyes that seem to sparkle in the darkness of his room. She leaned her head forward so that their foreheads were touching before replying to him.</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you too, Shayne. You don’t have to thank me for today. I’d happily do it again and again for you, and I know you’d do the same for me too.” Courtney couldn’t believe how much love she felt for the man in front of her. This beautiful, stupid, loving boy. She took his hand in hers, placing a little kiss on the knuckles before holding it in front of her heart. “You’re important, alright? You’re </span>
  <span>kinda</span>
  <span> my </span>
  <span>everything,</span>
  
  <span>y’know</span>
  <span>?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t need Shayne’s reply to that particular tidbit, his actions showing more than enough that her sentiment was reciprocated and mirrored. Shayne held her close, her ear close to his chest, the faint beating of his heart comforting her and accompanying her to dreamland. It didn’t take long for Courtney to fall asleep after that, her breathing evening out and signaling to him that she was already dreaming. Shayne followed soon after, his last thoughts occupied by Courtney, and the future that lies ahead of them.</span>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>A/N: An actual, honest to goodness, non-horny-on-main one shot? I must be going out of my mind. Yeah, I also don’t know what happened to the ending. Please like and subscribe.  I mean, comment down below and maybe give it a like? </p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I haven't written in a good while. Be kind.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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